


Maintain

by jeejaschocolate



Series: It Takes Five [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Affection, Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bathing/Washing, Canon-Typical Violence, Caretaking, Cock Worship, Daemons, Declarations Of Love, Developing OT5, Dirty Talk, Edging, Established OT4, Explicit Sexual Content, Feels, Fivesome - M/M/M/M/M, Frottage, Hand Jobs, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Intimacy, Long porn is long, M/M, MT!Prompto, Magic, Magical Realism, Multi, Neediness, Oral Sex, Polyamory, Porn With Plot, Relationship dynamics and explanations, Safer Sex, Sexual Tension, Size Issues, Spitroasting, These chapters are way too long, Threesome - M/M/M, a lot of liberties were taken with this one, mentions of Ardyn's past, mentions of torture, plot and more plot, switch!Ardyn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-18
Updated: 2017-05-28
Packaged: 2018-10-20 12:12:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 73,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10662339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeejaschocolate/pseuds/jeejaschocolate
Summary: (Sequel to "Sustain and Purify")Purifying a two-thousand-year-old body of daemons is one thing. Easier than it sounds, actually.But keeping the daemons at bay? And getting used to living in human skin again? Those are real challenges.





	1. Sleep

**Author's Note:**

> Ahh, I just couldn't leave it alone! The material was too good to waste! So, I decided to write a sequel that is a full-length story. 
> 
> That said, I can't guarantee that any of this is good. But it's just what I've been thinking about and I really wanted to share <3\. Basically this story is going to be the Ardyn hurt/comfort story, combined with plenty of sexy shenanigans and a thin plot wrapping. Even so, I really hope you guys enjoy!
> 
> Have to give credit to [HigharollaKockamamie](http://archiveofourown.org/users/HigharollaKockamamie/pseuds/HigharollaKockamamie), who is the OP that originally requested this fill. Now it's gone out of control, I'm so sorry!! But I had a bunch more ideas I wanted to do with this OT5.

**Chapter One - Sleep**

 

The first feeling Ardyn had, of course, was that this was all a trick. It had to be.

“Heh. Two thousand years and the first real meal he gets is Iggy’s cooking. I’d say you could do worse.” 

“This is crazy good today, man! There’s something amazing about good eats after a good fuck, am I right?”

“Language at the table, please.” 

“…But yeah, you’re right, Prompto. Crazy good.” 

Ardyn stared at the food sitting on the plate in front of him. Cooked eggs, toast, bacon, and thin-sliced garulessa steak. A fairly normal affair—not that Ardyn had actually eaten anything like breakfast in many, many years. Because of the daemons’ influence and his own immortality, he did not feel hunger nor did he need to eat. Which didn’t stop him from partaking in some nonessential gustatory pleasures from time to time—he was particularly fond of sweets, truth be told—but over the years, such instances became few and far between. He only ate nowadays to put on a show for other people, to convince them of his humanity. And every time he did the food tasted bland and pitiable in his mouth. Like swallowing dirt. It was all earth material, anyway.

But this food in front of him now…Ardyn could smell that the bacon had been fried and spiced, the steak had been lightly coated with salt beforehand. He could smell the soft, semi-sweet eggs mixed with the savory meats…

His stomach gurgled in an unfamiliar way. 

He was hungry. 

…Shit, this had to be a trick. The daemons had been quiet ever since he woke up that morning (with Noctis’s dick still inside of him). Ardyn couldn’t feel their presence anymore. He remembered every bit of what had happened the night before. Images of what exactly he had done with these four men flashed through his mind. His cock in their hands, in their mouths…their hands and lips on his own (hardly enticing) body…their erections buried deep inside of him… Little ripples of pleasure echoed through him with each memory.

If what these young men said was true, then had they actually succeeded in ridding him of the daemons for good—?

But that couldn’t actually work, right? It was preposterous. This had to be a trick. The daemons had done this to him before, way back in the beginning. Before they were all of one mind. They had tricked him in small ways: Showing him images of things he desired at the time, or pretending to go away when he was feeling especially ill—only to reappear as soon as he…well, but those kinds of things hadn’t happened in forever.

Maybe the daemons were watching him right now. Waiting for their time to reappear.

Ardyn glanced around the campsite. He looked hard at the shadows cast by the folding chairs, the tent, the makeshift barbecue. Normally shadows shook a little with the presence of a daemon—

…But, no. They couldn’t be there because it was daytime.

Fuck, why was his mind running so slow? 

There were too many sensations happening in and around him right now. There was the hunger in his belly, the softness of the blanket against his naked body, and the muscle soreness leftover from the night before. And, of course, the sun beating against his back. Which might as well have been the gentle caress of Bahamut Himself it felt so foreign.

Ardyn could feel all of this. He was aware of everything touching his body and of how it felt to be inside his own skin. And for once, he was not sharing this skin with a myriad of daemons. 

It was…a lot.

“Aren’t you hungry?” 

Ardyn looked up and saw the group staring at him curiously. They were all sitting in folding chairs, except for Noctis who was sitting on the blanket next to him.

Noctis had just asked him a question. His small blue eyes were filled with shiny concern. The prince was naked below the waist, but he still wore his black t-shirt (attractively stained in places). The young man was clearly unashamed to show off his perfect body—as it should be, the kid definitely did not have anything to hide. By the gods, that pale, skinny body…

For some reason, Ardyn had a sudden urge to get closer to Noctis. He didn’t know why. But his body could distantly feel the younger man’s warmth from where they were sitting and he wanted more. Warm, thin arms around his body…Ardyn remembered falling asleep like that. 

Such a good feeling. 

…That was troubling. This was Noctis, after all. The True King, the one he had—

Well, the one who had literally fucked him senseless the night before. At this point, it was hard to forget that fact. Everything else—the plan he had been working on for so, so many years—immediately took a backseat. 

He had been fucked by the True King of Lucis. The “almighty,” “holier-than-thou” Chosen One. And he loved it. 

These were things Ardyn needed to work with. But he couldn’t…quite get his head around much of anything. Only the physical things seemed to be registering with him. Food, skin, air, body heat. 

He already felt dizzy just dealing with that.

“Has it been a while since your last meal?” Ignis asked gently, leaning forward in his chair interestedly.

The chancellor turned his head in Ignis’s direction. He recognized sharp green eyes with the hint of a frown nestled between them. That gaze felt like a familiar caress, as if Ignis had just gently touched him on the shoulder.

Ardyn shook his head. Mostly because he couldn’t remember insignificant things like the last time he had eaten.

“I’m…tired…” the chancellor explained vaguely. He rubbed his forehead with one hand, trying to stimulate some kind of thought.

“Well at least eat it before it gets cold,” Prompto urged after swallowing a mouthful of food. “You can take a nap after.” 

“I’ll eat whatever he doesn’t,” Gladiolus affirmed. 

Ardyn looked back at his plate. The smell wafted over him again. Oh…but…it smelled like something wonderful. Something far better than mere food, certainly…

He picked up a piece of bacon with two fingers. It took a surprising amount of effort to bring it to his lips—his muscles seemed to be moving as slow as his mind—but when he did…the salty crunch between his lips made him start to salivate. Spit rushed to the front of his mouth and Ardyn needed to swallow quickly before he started drooling. 

“…Ah.” Ardyn smiled with one side of his face. This did not taste like dirt. It tasted…good.

Without thinking, he gobbled up the rest of the bacon in seconds. Greasy, crispy meat—magnificent! When he ran out of bacon, he moved to the steak. He picked it up with his fingers, brought a slice close to his nose to take a luxurious whiff, and proceeded to chow down. Juicy, tender meat, coming apart in his mouth. 

Oh, this. Eating. Now he remembered. Eating was…extraordinary. 

Ardyn closed his eyes when the food hit his stomach. For a moment, his stomach lurched and he thought he might spit it all back up. But the feeling passed quickly. So, he took a deep breath and started shoveling food back into his mouth. His tongue had come alive with the salty gloriousness of cooked breakfast—he wanted more!

“Slow down, now. There’s plenty more if you’re hungry.” Ignis got up to prepare Ardyn another plate. 

Gladiolus looked over at the scene Ardyn was making—shoving fistfuls of eggs into his mouth and licking the remnants from his fingers (no utensils). As if he hadn’t tasted anything so good in…two thousand years.

The Shield nodded in approval. “That’s more like it.” 

Ardyn almost bit his own finger as he was eating; he couldn’t seem to coordinate his mouth, teeth, and hands with the need in him that demanded more. But what did that matter? There was another chunk of eggs on his plate—

Some small bit of food got caught in his throat. It seemed he was unable to coordinate swallowing as well. His reflexes triggered, Ardyn started choking and sputtering.

“Whoa, take it easy.” Noctis came over immediately to pat him on the back. “You gotta take smaller bites, man.” 

It actually helped. Ardyn coughed up about two mouthfuls of eggs. His eyes were watery and he was panting, but he was still definitely hungry. And Noctis was now rubbing small circles into his riled-up back. That felt nice…

Ignis came up beside Ardyn with a glass of juice and another plate. “Here,” the bespectacled man said, setting everything in front of him. Ardyn eyed the plate hungrily. “Remember to drink as well. Take your time.” 

Without asking, Ignis grabbed Ardyn’s hands and thoroughly wiped them down with a napkin. Cleaning off grease, spit, and bits of food. Face unchanging, Ignis quickly passed the napkin over Ardyn’s mouth. All before the older man could react. Then, Ignis reached down and wrapped Ardyn’s hand around a fork.

“Let’s try to use utensils this time, shall we?” the advisor commented, already walking away with the other plate. 

Ardyn blinked, unsure how to process what just happened. But he decided to forget all about that for a second (because seriously, what?) when his eyes landed on the food. He just wanted to eat for now… Forcing himself to use the fork, he took his time with the second plate. 

The rest of them watched him eat. It was fascinating, seeing Ardyn rediscover his tastebuds after some millennia. 

Prompto sighed. “I feel you, dude. I get like that when I’m super hungry too.”

Noctis sat close to Ardyn the whole time. He held up the glass of juice at regular intervals, saying, “Hey, don’t forget…” 

Without argument, the chancellor obeyed. Ah, juice. Super sweet, enough to raise the tiny hairs on the back of Ardyn’s neck. He was thirsty—his tongue felt dry—and this helped, but he also wanted more. His tongue smacked against the roof of his mouth as he enjoyed the sweet citrus flavor. 

Warmth flood his senses when he finished. He dropped the plate and fork to the ground with a clatter. All of his energy was completely sapped. 

The second thing Ardyn felt that day was a strong need to sleep. Insistent. Like his body giving him commands as if it had its own consciousness. 

“…So tired…” Ardyn said. He laid back down on the blanket automatically, only semi-aware that they were all looking at him. 

His eyelids felt heavy. The comforting feeling of food settling in his stomach was a revelation, but it made him even sleepier. He would rest for now….he had to…not much of a choice in the matter. 

As soon as he closed his eyes, sleep took him. His body relaxed and his breathing fell into an even rhythm. He looked at peace, regardless of what was going through his mind before that.

Noctis smiled down at him. He combed his hand through Ardyn’s hair and pulled the blanket up around the older man’s prone, motionless body. 

The prince was happy. He knew their plan had worked. Sure, it occurred to him that there was a chance Ardyn was tricking them (pulling a ruse, it was something he would do). But Noctis knew better. 

There was no way to fake that kind of purely un-self-conscious sleep. (Noctis was actually kind of jealous because it looked like a good one, and he loved to sleep too.) 

So then, it worked. They really had saved the world.

_________________________________________________________

“When we headed out?”

Noctis finished tying his shoes and stood up. He took another cursory glance at Ardyn. Sure enough, the chancellor was still laying in the same spot he had fallen asleep after breakfast. It looked like he had barely moved at all, just tiny rolls of his head every now and then. On top of that, it was already past 17:00. Almost time for dinner. 

“I mean, what’s our next move anyway?” Prompto asked, as a follow-up to Gladiolus’s question. “Are we…still going to Altissia or…?” 

Ignis sat in a chair, pouring over the Pious King’s tome. He flipped a page and glanced up. “It’s…up to Noct.”

Well. That answered that question. If only it were that easy.

Noctis took a seat and ran through everything again in his head. They had spent this whole day talking and thinking things through. But now it was time to make a decision. 

They still had some very clear goals. They needed to take back Insomnia. They probably did not need to continue making covenants with the Archaeons—thankfully. But they needed to deal with the Empire as it was.

Part of Noctis was very certain that he needed to meet with Lunafreya. She was still in Altissia. He had no idea what he would say to her when they did meet (no way he could settle on the truth, and in what world did it make sense that they would still be married at this point?). But he needed her to know that the Starscourge was cured—if she didn’t already know. Which she probably did know because she was Luna. In that case, all the better, because then maybe they could work together to solve the problem of the Empire. 

Not to mention, he really wanted to see her. Just to make sure she was alright.

“Altissia it is,” Noctis said. He wasn’t exactly using his kingly voice, but that was okay. He was around the guys. They knew him.

Oh, they knew him. They had just watched him go to town on Ardyn—and they had been right there with him. That, the act of doing that together, had deepened their bond with each other even more. They could all feel it. They had accomplished something. Now the world had changed, because of what they did together.

And _what_ it was.

It gave them all a giddy kind of feeling. Powerful but silly, with no small amount of ego-tripping. Really, their dicks had single-handedly (so to speak) changed history. 

They were in good spirits all day, no doubt about it.

But now that it was nighttime…Noctis could sense that Gladiolus was getting worried. A wasted day was still a wasted day. No matter what they chose, they needed to keep moving forward. Not much time to waste. (Even though they all agreed to spend the day quietly with each other. They had earned it.)

“We’ll head for Caem tomorrow,” Noctis continued. He looked over at the setting sun, telling himself that the rest of this would be smooth sailing. It had to be. If they could pull off some of kind of daemon purification ritual, why couldn’t they do much more? “At the usual time.” 

“Bright and early, huh?” Prompto said, rising to his feet with a languid stretch. There was a small smile playing at his lips. “Sounds good to me.”

Gladiolus hummed quietly. He propped his feet up on an empty folding chair and thought. As usual, he ran through a list of all the risks they might encounter from here on out. Monsters, daemons, yeah. Probably a bunch of politicians and crap that Noctis and Ignis would need to handle. The Empire’s forces. More hostile MTs. 

All that was fine. Gladiolus could keep the steel in check. He wasn’t worried about that…his eyes slid over to Ardyn’s sleeping form. The Shield unconsciously licked his lips. 

Fuck, it was hard to forget how it felt being buried in that guy. Daemons aside—because…he did not exactly need to advertise that part—Ardyn had been a really great fuck.And now, since he was healed of the Scourge, Gladiolus figured it would probably take this guy a while to adjust to everything. He couldn’t imagine what it was like becoming a human being again after so long. Even the thought kind of gave Gladiolus the shivers. He liked his humanity right where it was, thanks. 

Plus, he felt kind of responsible for what had happened to Ardyn. It was directly his fault, after all, that Ardyn’s whole world was changed. Not that he felt _guilty—_ because it needed to be this way, for everyone’s sake. It was even more than fair, considering all the terrible things this guy had essentially caused for them. (He was sure Ardyn held enough blame for the fall of Insomnia, and Gladiolus was already working with that.) 

Still. Gladiolus felt bad for him. How much of this had Ardyn actually asked for? How much of it was the daemons rattling around in his mind, and how much was the destiny the Six had imposed upon all of them? (Gladiolus knew a bit about the Crystal’s destiny from watching Regis become enfeebled before his time. Watching his father serve a prematurely aging king, the pain on his father’s face every time Regis sustained an unnecessary injury. Gladiolus knew that things like gods and daemons had no concern for the will of humanity.) 

So, it begged the question. What were they going to do with Ardyn now? They couldn’t just leave him somewhere. What hospital would understand his condition, would even know how to treat him? 

Gladiolus glanced over at Ignis. He watched their companion absorbing all of the information in that book. Probably, the best person to treat Ardyn at this point was Ignis himself and the rest of their group. They could keep Ardyn safe in case the daemons decided to come back—which Ignis had already warned them could happen. 

Daemons, as Ignis explained earlier that day, would be able to sense Ardyn. Part of the man would always attract them because he had been exposed to their influence for so long. So, daemons from all over the place would be drawn to him. They might try to overtake him again.

And of course Noctis and the rest could not let that happen. If it did, they would be back to where they started. Gladiolus would be damned if that went down on his watch. It was out of the question.

Beyond that, they had all clamored to ask whether Ardyn was still immortal or not. Ignis did a little more research and then, after some time, shook his head with sincerity.

According to the book, Ardyn wasn’t immortal anymore. 

So. They needed to keep a close watch on him. And, Ignis assured them, the former immortal would need consistent doses of pleasure to make his body less appealing to the daemons. He would need more sex. Lots of it. He might even crave it more than usual, instinctually, as his body worked to protect itself.

Gladiolus cleared his throat surreptitiously as he thought about that. He could not say he was against the idea, really. 

Maybe their choices weren’t so difficult after all.

The Shield sat up properly and made eye contact with Noctis. “So,” he began, gesturing over to Ardyn with his chin. “What do we do about him?” 

“Him?” Noctis looked over at Ardyn, who was oblivious to this whole conversation. 

Suddenly, everyone had their eyes on Noctis. They had all discussed what Ardyn would need moving forward, and they all had their opinions about how that needed to be handled. But, as always, Noctis had the final decision. With the sun setting quietly in the background, the group held their breath waiting for their king’s answer. 

Noctis shook his head. This one he didn’t even need to think about. 

“He comes with us,” the king said. “The whole way.” 

The small smile on Prompto’s lips broke out into a full grin. “Gotcha.” 

Ignis nodded once in affirmation. The tactician’s heart settled firmly in his chest, a piece of his mind put to ease now that Noctis had made his choice. “I’ll get started on dinner then,” he announced. 

“I’ll help.” Prompto scurried to Ignis’s side, suddenly eager to have something to do.

Gladiolus and Noctis shared a look. The bigger man nodded at his liege, smiling affectionately. They never spoke about these things, but Gladiolus hoped Noctis knew how he was proud of him for trying to do what was right. Especially in this case.

Noctis met his Shield’s gaze and blushed a little, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. 

Heh. That suited Gladiolus just fine.

____________________________________________________

Sleep was like death. Ardyn thought he knew quite a bit about death, having been “killed” many times before, in various ways. But actually, he realized, there was another part of death. Something he had not experienced before. It was complete and total unawareness. Removal from the world itself. And this sleep was like that. Ardyn was dead to the world as he slumbered on.

Consciousness slowly returned to him as he felt his body shaking. He tried to swat the awareness away—it felt so good to sleep—but his body was rocking on its own. He slowly opened his eyes and realized someone was shaking him. There were gloved hands on his shoulders. 

The world came back into place for Ardyn. It was dark outside…when had that happened? He frowned and looked blearily up at Ignis.

“Time for dinner,” Ignis said, nodding down at him with an unreadable expression. “I made some bird beast and egg over rice. Won’t you have a few bites?”

The smell of fried rice wafted over to Ardyn’s nostrils. He looked down and saw that Ignis was offering him a full plate. It smelled wonderful, like before. As much as he wanted to continue sleeping, the food looked too delicious to pass on. He nodded at Ignis and tried to prop himself up on his elbows.

Halfway through, Ardyn got stuck. His arms were moving—even slower than before, though they still worked at least—but his torso was not. Shit, he had no strength. It was as if his core was made out of some heavy lead he could not lift, or as if all the muscles in his back had simply ceased to function.

His eyes widened in panic as he tried and failed several times to raise himself up. 

Ignis laid a steady hand on Ardyn’s chest, stopping his struggle for a moment. “That’s alright,” the younger man said. “Don’t force yourself.” 

Then Ignis looked over to the side and nodded. Something moved near Ardyn’s prone shoulders. He had no time to see what it was, however, as hulking hands immediately came sliding under his back. They lifted him up into a sitting position.

Ardyn felt himself leaning against a solid wall of warm flesh. He smiled a little, knowing exactly who this was (if memory served). 

“Thank you…” the chancellor said quietly, turning his head to the side against Gladiolus’s chest. All of his weight was resting on Gladio at this point, who was propping him up as if the older man weighed nothing.

“Don’t mention it.” Gladiolus’s voice rumbled around in his chest as he spoke and Ardyn could feel it through their contact. That was…somewhat fascinating…

Ignis pushed another fork into Ardyn’s hand. The chancellor brought his attention back to the food in front of him. He lifted his other hand to hold the plate, but it shook severely as he tried to move. 

Shaking his head, Ignis swept Ardyn’s hand out of the way. “No need,” he said, rubbing his thumb against Ardyn’s trembling fingers. “I’ll hold it for you.” 

“…Ah. Umm…” Ardyn blinked. 

He was starting to feel offended. Or embarrassed or slighted, or something. They were treating him like a helpless child who could barely feed himself. That rankled quite a bit. But…the chancellor sighed as he realized that in a way it was true. Ardyn was not in full control of his body right now, as much as that hurt to admit. 

Regardless, he needed to eat. So, Ardyn picked up the fork and (tediously, taking almost a full minute for each bite) ate his meal. His nose turned warm as he withstood the heavenly tastes, some water welling up in his eyes. Normally that only happened to him with spicy foods, but this fried rice was not hot in temperature or in taste. It was just right. Satisfying. Warming him up right down to the marrow of his bones. He needed to pause for a moment to collect himself.

“Here.” Ignis held a glass of water to Ardyn’s lips and the older man drank without thinking. 

The cold liquid sloshed inside of him and brought him back from the edge of…whatever was about to happen to him there. He sniffed, pointedly not looking at Ignis, and continued eating. 

Noctis and Prompto watched from a distance, finishing their own meals. Their other three companions made a rather touching picture. Huddled together, helping Ardyn get some food in him. Honestly, Prompto was itching to join them somehow—just to be part of it—but he held himself back so as not to overwhelm Ardyn. 

Ignis was muttering quiet directions to Ardyn and Gladiolus the whole time. Things like “drink more” or “hold him up higher, Gladio.” The soft tenor of his voice and the crackling fire of the campsite were the only sounds. 

Sleep pushed at the edges of Ardyn’s vision. Even as he tried to eat the last few bites, his eyes were already closing. This kind of involuntarily, death-like sleep was overpowering. He dropped his fork and rested his head back on Gladiolus’s shoulder. Before anyone could comment, Ardyn was already back asleep. 

Ignis nodded as if he had been expecting this. To Gladiolus he said, “His body is trying to repair itself. He’s using all his energy to heal whatever…internal injuries he sustained over the years. We need to make sure he keeps eating regularly, however, to keep up his strength.” 

“Right.” Gladiolus laid Ardyn down gently. “Is he sleeping out here tonight or should I bring him into the tent?” 

Wrapping the blanket around Ardyn’s shoulders, Ignis considered this for a moment. Then he came to a quick decision. “Better carry him inside. It might get cold tonight.” 

“You got it, boss,” Gladiolus answered. He met Ignis’s gaze with a coy smile.

The advisor caught the look. He shook his head slightly, adjusting his glasses to hide a small smirk. Still, Ignis was already making plans to sleep next to Gladious that night. He could not deny that Gladiolus being gentle and abiding by all his directions had its own…unique effect. 

With a light grunt, Gladiolus hoisted Ardyn’s sleeping, blanket-wrapped form into his arms carried him right into their tent. 

…Watching Gladiolus deadlift a grown man as easily as he would a sack of flour…well, that wasn’t terrible either.

________________________________________________________

The following morning, Ardyn awoke to the feeling of something feather-light tickling the side of his nose. He groaned and tried to move away from the feeling, but that only buried his face further into a nest of silky…something.

Falling slowly back into consciousness, he opened his eyes and was met with the sight of Noctis. Asleep and wrapped around him, face nuzzled against Ardyn’s chest. Of course this meant that Noctis’s fluffy hair was pressed dangerously close to Ardyn’s face. 

The light looked strangely…green. Oh, they were inside the tent. Though, Ardyn had no memory of coming in here. That was…mildly disturbing.

But the sight of Noctis sleeping on him chased away all other thoughts. This boy slept almost as hard as Ardyn did, by the looks of it. He seemed to be enjoying himself immensely where he lay; his beautiful, pristine face smoothed out. No hint of the usual frown Noctis wore. 

Ardyn could not help but smile as he stared at the boy (well, young man). He raised one hand (thankfully that was a little easier today) and ran his fingertips down the side of Noctis’s face. Such silken skin. It had to be a sin to touch him like this.

Automatically, Ardyn waited for the daemons’ consciousness to wake up and goad him into fucking with Noctis. To defile him or hurt him, the prince was completely defenseless right now, laying right on top of him—

But the daemons were silent. The unusualness of that jolted Ardyn out of the tender moment. Memories of what had happened and why he was here crept over him again. 

Oh. So…this was another day with no change. 

Ardyn closed his eyes and laid back against the hard ground. His mind was slightly sharper today, at least. He needed to think…

Maybe this wasn’t a daemon trick. Maybe this was some kind of magic on Noctis’s part. Maybe it was Noctis—the True King Himself—who was trying to deceive him somehow. To get Ardyn on his side for…some purpose that would be revealed later.

It had to be. Ardyn could not afford to let his guard down around Noctis just yet if Noctis had this kind of power—if Noctis could make him feel this empty and relaxed, powerless but liberated. Could make him taste again after so long, could make him enjoy sleep…

…Did Noctis possess that level of ability? 

Ardyn opened his eyes and looked at the slumbering young man on his chest. For someone employing a ruse, Noctis looked particularly unguarded himself. Comfortable, even. How…bizarre.

Noctis’s lips were slightly parted where he was taking deep, even breaths. Ardyn noticed how those slim, well-formed little lips were the tiniest bit wet. They seemed so…enticing. The chancellor found himself licking his own lips and bending his head downward to meet Noctis in a kiss. He wanted to taste that wetness against his own tongue, to indulge himself in the prince’s unique smell. He could feel some latent desire coiling around his own insides…making itself known…

“Noct?” 

Suddenly, the tent flap lifted and Ignis poked his head in. Ardyn remembered himself, millimeters away from kissing Noctis. He pulled away instantly.

“Oh, you’re awake,” Ignis commented, seeing Ardyn’s open eyes. “Would you mind getting Noctis up as well? We’re having some breakfast and then we’re heading out. Come out when you’re ready.” 

Just like that, Ignis left. …How could that advisor be so trusting of him? Didn’t he know that Ardyn had desired nothing but the Chosen One’s destruction for thousands of years? He had to know, right? And if he did, why would he simply leave Ardyn alone with a sleeping Noctis…?

The chancellor shook his head. He could also not deny that he had definitely been about to ravish this boy. That desire felt like an automatic reaction from his body too, just like the sleep. 

His body was doing things on its own… 

Ardyn took a deep breath to calm the quivering needs inside of him. There were so many needs now. He was still tired (though less so), he was hungry. He wanted to kiss Noctis, he wanted to fuck Noctis, he wanted Noctis to fuck him again. He wanted to be outside in the sun, to look into the sky without fear of burning…

Oh, so many desires. How could he possibly contain all these wants?

Deciding that he would go along with this whole thing (for now, it was just for now…), Ardyn gently jostled Noctis’s elbow.

“Time to get up, my Prince,” the former immortal said quietly but sarcastically. He was tempted to say something else, but the sight of Noctis slowly waking up made him forget whatever he was planning on.

So sleepy, so…well, Ardyn wanted to cup Noctis’s face in both hands he looked so adorable. How could such a pain in the ass be so cute? Ardyn wanted to curse the gods for creating a monster like this, but…he also just wanted to keep looking at Noctis.

“Mmmm..” Noctis groaned, recognizing Ardyn and smiling vaguely. “…Is it that time already?” 

The boy ambled up into a sitting position. He spent a few seconds rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and stretching. When he was finished, he looked down at Ardyn with a renewed gleam in his eyes. 

“…Morning,” Noctis offered. He opened his mouth to say something, then shook his head, deciding against it. Then he tried again, “How are you feeling?”

Just from that look, anyone would think Noctis was being a hundred percent sincere. There was affection in that gaze—it pierced Ardyn like a pole arm. 

“I’m…feeling a bit better, I think…” Ardyn answered, suddenly sincere himself now. But Noctis looked like he really wanted to know, so. Ardyn sat up as well. (Oh good, that had returned to normal.) 

“Glad to hear it,” Noctis replied. He was looking Ardyn up and down in a penetrating kind of way, which made the chancellor remember that he was still naked.

Ifrit’s fiery balls, had he been naked this whole time? If Ardyn were just a few years younger he would have blushed. As it was, he could not help feeling a smidgeon of shame, that he had just been laying there like that for more than a day. He also probably needed to shower, but…that would have to wait. 

Noctis reached behind him. “Here's the clothes you were wearing…I think your jacket and hat are outside.” 

In that pile were a pair of dress pants, a pull-on sweater, a scarf and the usual dress shirt with the high collar that Ardyn always wore. He always wore layers, obviously, because his body ran cold all of the time. It had been that way ever since he began his healing services back in the day (if only he knew then…but no use recriminating it now). Beyond that, he needed to keep himself shielded from the sun. Hiding his mouth behind a thick scarf, under the brim of his hat, wrapped in a thick, floor-length coat—this was the outfit he had worn for thousands of years to keep him exposed to as little sunlight as possible. 

But now…

Ardyn could feel from the air around them that he would be…uncomfortable wearing all that. Heavy and hot, probably. 

…? Could that be? He needed to think this over again.

“…If you want to borrow something of ours then just let us know…” Noctis said awkwardly. 

Ardyn had an image of himself wearing some of Noct’s baggy t-shirts and jeans. And maybe the baseball cap too? 

Nope. He would work with what he had.

So, after Noctis got up and pulled on some pants (that was all he needed to do? How long had these young men been living like this?), Ardyn did the same. It took him a little longer to steady himself out on his feet—Noctis needed to hold out his arm for the first few minuets so Ardyn did not fall back down. But then he dressed himself in his boxers, dress pants, and shirt. The rest he would need to save for…later. 

They emerged from the tent shortly after. The rest of the group greeted them accordingly.

“Look who’s on their feet…” Gladiolus mused, staring at Ardyn from across the campsite. 

Ardyn made eye contact with him and quickly looked away. He remembered how Gladiolus had propped him up to eat the night before, probably it was Gladiolus who had carried him into the tent. 

The idea was more than a little troubling (that this King’s Shied had been able to manipulate him like a rag doll), but. It made sense. Ardyn would not soon forget what it felt like to have Gladiolus between his legs, voluntarily holding both of his own legs high in the air so Gladiolus could fuck him deep like a beast…

…Had he really done all that? Ardyn knew he had. The memory alone was making his stomach feel warm and prickly—like he wanted even more. Ardyn’s throat went dry looking at the way Gladiolus sat with his legs spread apart. Like an invitation… 

The chancellor wet his lips and decided not to look at Gladiolus for a while. 

Noctis gestured to a fold-up chair next to Prompto. Ardyn took a seat without asking.

“Check you out.” Prompto nudged Ardyn’s shoulder playfully. “You look good, man.”

Ardyn turned to look at the bright young man. He wanted to come up with a response, even a slightly biting “thank you” would suffice. But then he noticed how soft Prompto’s baby blue eyes looked. He remembered watching Prompto crawl over to him, ready and willing to suck his dick. 

Now that was a great memory. This eager young lad. Would he be willing to do that again…? 

Without thinking, Ardyn smiled and stroked the side of Prompto’s face. The MT accepted the gesture happily, rubbing his face against Ardyn’s hand. Unable to think around the thin cloud of excitement that bubbled up inside him, Ardyn leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Prompto’s cheek. 

“Mmm…” Prompto hummed. “Heh, good morning to you, too.” He pulled away for a moment and kissed Ardyn’s cheek reciprocally. 

“Breakfast?” Ignis stepped in and placed a warm plate on Ardyn’s lap. 

Startled by the unexpected contact from another person, Ardyn pulled back. He stared between Ignis and Prompto for a long moment. They both look completely unaffected by what had just happened—except Prompto was kind of chuckling to himself, looking over at Ignis with a knowing expression. As hard as he looked, Ardyn could not decipher the meaning of that expression.

Whatever. The chancellor shook his head to clear it and turned to the plate of food in his lap. He didn’t know what came over him just then—except that Prompto was naturally tempting in all kinds of ways—but he guessed they could just move on from it. That’s what it looked like the others were doing, anyway.

Besides, this food (cooked eggs and some toast with light jam) was truly divine. What was this…butter? Butter under jam on bread? Why had that thought never occurred to him before, it was such a rich combination… Ardyn bit back a moan as he devoured two pieces of toast. 

“We’re moving out after you’re done,” Noctis announced, tucking into his own breakfast. 

Ardyn stopped mid-bite. Moving out? What…did that mean?

Right. There was a whole world outside of this camp. Ardyn just remembered.

Prompto slapped his hand Ardyn’s shoulder. “You’re coming too, buddy.”

…He was? 

Looking around at the faces of the rest of the group, it did not seem like this was up for debate. Ardyn wanted to protest that they were not even giving him a say in the matter. 

But then he realized. When he tried to reach for the vein of power that allowed him to manipulate reality in his own way, he grasped nothing. …Right. If there were no daemons inside of him, then a huge chunk of his power was gone. Not all, of course. He could still feel the lifeblood of Lucis kings in his blood which gave him access to magic and warping. But, still. All of his illusory powers were missing.

Alright, if this was a trick then it was a good one. A very, very good one. But evidence was starting to point to the idea that perhaps this was not a trick at all. Perhaps this was real and now he needed to figure out the rest of his life...

A shiver of unexpected fear shimmied down Ardyn’s back. How could he…even begin to do something like that…?

Then another wave of tiredness overtook him. He slumped forward slightly, feeling like he might fall asleep again. 

“…Alright, looks like you’re done.” Prompto reached over and took the plate out of Ardyn’s hand. Then he turned to the rest of the group and said, “Should we make our way to the car?” 

A few scant minutes passed by and suddenly Prompto was shaking Ardyn awake. He sat upright slowly, realizing that everything from the campsite was gone, except for the chair he was sitting in.

Well, it appeared he had succumbed to sleep yet again. 

“Come on,” Prompto coaxed, holding out a hand to help him up. “Let’s go.” 

Unthinking, still confused by the sleep pulling at all his senses, Ardyn took Prompto’s hand. Right on cue, Gladiolus folded up the chair from under him with a cool snap. They began the walk back to the parking spot. 

Ardyn had thought Prompto would let go of his hand once he was firmly standing. But the young man did not. He kept Ardyn’s hand gently cuffed in his own while he led the older man down the path. 

That hand was warm, Ardyn realized distantly. He had no personal desire to pull away either.

It was also a warm day. The sun filtered in through the leaves on the trees. The rays splashed his face sporadically, making him feel even warmer. He squinted his eyes at first, expecting them to start burning. But, of course, they did not.

By the time Prompto pulled him into the parking spot, Ardyn was already tired again. He saw the Regalia, with Ignis and Noctis already sitting in the front seats. Behind them, though, he saw his own car. Oh, shit. His car…what was he going to do about that?

“My car…” he said vaguely, walking in the direction of his own vehicle automatically. 

“Oh right,” Prompto commented. “Your car…”

“Not a problem,” Ignis cut in from the driver’s seat. “We can arrange to have it towed when we to Caem.” 

“Great idea. Wouldn’t want you falling asleep at the wheel there, big guy.” Prompto wrapped an arm around Ardyn’s shoulders and led him to the Regalia instead.

That…made sense. Ardyn was already very eager to sit down, ready for another sleep. Gladiolus squeezed himself into the back, with Prompto in the middle. The blonde pulled Ardyn closer, helping him sit next to him in the back. 

Reaching over Ardyn’s lap to close the door, Prompto called, “Ready to roll!” Ignis started the car smoothly and they pulled out. 

Caem…? Ardyn closed his eyes and leaned back against the seat. That meant they were going to Altissia.

Altissia…

…That’s right. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love these guys taking care of Ardyn. It makes everything better.
> 
> Next chapter will be up soon (hopefully tomorrow)! Lots of fun times ahead, thanks for checking this one out!


	2. Heat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To Cape Caem!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How long is this story going to be? I don't knowwww lol. Apparently pretty long. I'm so sorry everyone.
> 
> Sexy times ahead! Enjoy, folks ;)

**Chapter Two - Heat**

Ardyn slept peacefully in the backseat for about an hour. Ignis was a very smooth driver and the car ran naturally in his hands. It turned out to be a clear day (with the temperature rising) so he put the top down. Despite the extra person in the car, the ride started out very comfortable.

But after about an hour, Ardyn started twitching in his sleep. From his place of purely black unconsciousness, the chancellor became distantly aware that he was starting to feel warmer.

He groaned, eyes closed. His body felt like it was on fire. Was someone using a fire spell on him? He could not remember heat like this aside from his contact with the Infernian…

“Nnnh…” he moaned, sleep giving way to a hellishly hot reality. “…Hot…” 

“Uh, guys?” Prompto said, eyeing the older man warily. “I think…something’s wrong?”

Ardyn felt suddenly nauseous. All at once he thought he might vomit, so he lurched forward in his seat. He felt wretched, like his body was being scorched by the sun’s rays. Sweat pooled everywhere on him, making his long-sleeved satin shirt stick to him uncomfortably. 

“Everything alright?” Ignis called from the front.

Ardyn clawed at his neck, swallowing some vomit. He undid the buttons around his collar, dying for some air. 

“No, stop…” he said in a raspy voice. “Need to stop…” 

He did not know what was happening to him, but he needed to get out of this car. Everything was tight and closing in around him. The former immortal could barely breathe, even with the top down.

“Uh….definitely need to stop now, Igs!” Prompto shouted. “Pull over!” 

Seeing Ardyn in clear distress, Ignis immediately came to a halt on the side of the road. They were nowhere near a parking spot, and nowhere near Caem. They had not even made it to the underpass yet. 

Before the car came to full stop, Ardyn was already climbing out the back. He opened the door in an unstoppable rush and walked blindly out onto the wide stretch of grass on the far side of the road. Everyone in the group called out to him, asking him to wait, but he could not hear them. 

He walked, tugging at the tight high collar of his shirt, until his feet touched grass. Ah, grass. Grass was cool, right? Without thinking, Ardyn laid down on the ground in a sprawled heap. He stretched himself out, burying his face in the grass, trying to absorb the earth’s coolness.

Right, grass…this grass smelled fresh. Nature. He had not smelled this since…? But it was quite nice. And much cooler. The ground and dirt beneath him pulled some of the heat out of his body. He felt a little better now…

Gladiolus was the first to reach him. It looked very much like Ardyn had collapsed so he ran as quickly as he could. When he reached the chancellor, he scooped the man up in his arms and felt for a pulse. Sure enough, Ardyn was still breathing, his heart was still beating, but his skin was boiling. Hot to the touch, filled with sweat. 

“Too…hot…” Ardyn panted, looking up at Gladiolus incoherently. 

He recognized the other man’s face and felt marginally better. He knew, on some level, that Gladiolus (with his strong Shied’s body and clear mind) was a good person to have found him. He could rest now, just for a little while, in safe hands. Still so tired…

While Ardyn passed out in his arms, Gladiolus finished undoing the buttons on the older man’s shirt and quickly slipped it off him. Not even pausing to think, Gladiolus ripped some strips off the shirt and poured water from his water bottle onto the cloth. He pressed the cloth to Ardyn’s forehead. He knew that the best thing for a high fever, in the spur of the moment, was a cold compress. If only he had some cooler water… 

By this time, the rest of the group had caught up with them. Gladiolus called to Noctis to get some ice from the cooler in the trunk. The prince complied without hesitation.

Ignis kneeled down next to Gladiolus and opened Ardyn’s eyes to check his pupils. 

“Slightly dilated, but not terrible,” Ignis reported. “How’s his pulse?” 

“Fluttering. Could be better,” Gladiolus answered.

This was hardly their first time performing triage on someone. At least this time there were no gaping wounds that needed stitching. And for once, it wasn’t Noctis or Prompto.

Ignis poured an elixir over Ardyn just in case. The yellowish glow spread little specks of light over their knees. 

“What happened?” Prompto asked, standing above them. “Is he okay?” 

Gladiolus actually had no idea. He looked to his companion wordlessly for some kind of explanation. 

It took Ignis a few moments to answer. He felt along Ardyn’s neck several times and then adjusted his glasses before speaking. “I’m not certain, but…it looks like he just got overheated.” 

Noctis finally arrived with a fistful of ice. Thanking him wordlessly, Gladiolus took the ice and wrapped it in another strip of cloth. This one he pressed underneath Ardyn’s head, on the back of his neck. 

Thinking about what Ignis said, Prompto picked up the discarded dress shirt curiously. He rubbed the material between his fingers and frowned.

“I think you’re right, Ignis,” the blonde offered. “This shirt is made of really thick material. I’d be sweating bullets if I was wearing this right now.” 

Noctis considered all of this and nodded. “He always wore so many layers. Daemons like cold places right? Maybe that’s why. I think he’s used to feeling cold.”

The rest of the group nodded slowly. “Well, his body has a lot of catching up to do,” Ignis remarked.

For a moment they just stared at Ardyn, as if waiting for something to happen. It was another moment where they realized the gravity of what he had been through.

“Alright, he’s okay?” Gladiolus asked, rising to his feet. “Let’s get him back to the car and keep going. Day’s wasting.” 

Ignis held up his hand to stop him. “We should change his attire slightly, first.”

Without waiting for any acquiescence, Ignis unbuckled Ardyn’s pants and shoes. He pulled them off in one efficient pull, leaving the chancellor on the ground in nothing but his boxers. 

Gladiolus sighed. He knew what Iggy was thinking. He was right. So, the Shield trotted back to the car and got one of his spare sleeveless shirts. 

“These boots are way too heavy,” Ignis commented, passing them to Prompto. “Let’s get him new shoes when we pull into town.”

“Roger!” Prompto gathered the boots. He also picked up Ardyn’s discarded dress shirt—well, the pieces of it that were left. “Rest in piece, old-time-y fob shirt. Rest in peace.” The MT decided to leave both of these things in the trunk, even though the shirt was probably unsalvageable. 

Using his sharpest daggers, Ignis cut off Ardyn’s pants right at the knee. He tutted a few times because the cut was rather uneven. He muttered under his breath about how he knew he should have added his fabric sheers to the Armiger. On Ardyn, Gladiolus’s sleeveless undershirt proved to be baggy under the arms but slightly tight around the waist. The two had rather different bodies after all.

Wearing the oversized undershirt and cut-off dress pants, Ardyn looked only slightly like a homeless vagrant. But then…he sort of always had? 

“It’ll have to do,” Ignis said, appraising his work with a sigh. “Can you carry him to the car?” 

“Yup.” 

Gladiolus did not need to be told twice. He wrapped Ardyn’s arm around his neck and scooped him up princess-style, right under the knees. Ignis took the cold compresses and reapplied them carefully once they were in the car. They decided to put Ardyn in the middle this time, so he could stay propped up between Prompto and Gladiolus. In truth, the Shield just wanted to keep his own eye on the older man, and they all figured that out quickly enough. But they politely ignored this.

“Let’s go,” Gladiolus barked when they had all filed into the car. “We’re getting nowhere fast, here.” 

That, they knew, was big brother Gladio anxious to see his baby sister. But they politely ignored this as well.

____________________________________________________________

By the time they arrived in Cape Caem, it was already late afternoon. It had taken them a little longer than they anticipated, having to stop in the middle and then running into some hostile MTs on the road (a battle Ardyn somehow managed to sleep through). 

Iris was waiting for them on the porch. Gladiolus carried Ardyn into the house with the older man’s arm slung over his shoulders. It seemed like the chancellor was about halfway conscious. He responded to some basic questions by nodding his head, but he seemed too out of it for any conversation. A soft bed and decent rest were the best medicines for Ardyn at this point.

“Umm…who’s that?” Iris asked with a frown when the five of them showed up. 

“Did you find this man on the road?” Dustin asked, taking Ardyn’s other arm to help Gladiolus carry him up the stairs.

“Uh…” Gladiolus clicked his teeth in thought. “Yeah, something like that.”

Asking no more questions (already knowing that these four young men were probably far too giving for their own good), Dustin took them to a small room on the far end. It was supposed to be Talcott’s room, but the young boy slept in Monica’s bed most of the time. (They were in the process of slowly transitioning him back to his own bed, but the boy still had night terrors about Jared.) So Dustin said that Ardyn could use it for a night or two without any problem.

“He seems to be in pretty bad shape,” the bespectacled caretaker commented. 

Gladiolus nodded, slightly winded. He was starting to get tired himself after the day’s exertion. “Yeah. He’s been through the wringer.” 

Dustin took in the full sight of the dusty, ill-dressed, red-haired man in his house. He could only imagine. But, that kind of person had always resonated with the caretaker.

They were all refugees, really. Since Insomnia fell. 

“I have a spare pair of boating shoes I think might be his size,” Dustin said when he noticed Ardyn’s bare feet. “I’ll leave them by the door for when he wakes up.”

Gladiolus bowed his head respectfully. “Can’t thank you enough for all this, Ackers. Iris too…” 

Dustin waved his hand at the idea. “Not at all, please. Your family has done more service to the crown than almost any other in the kingdom. We are in your debt, Mr. Amicitia.” 

“I appreciate it, though.” 

Collecting himself against a wave of emotion as he considered everything about his family, the crown, and Insomnia, Gladiolus clapped Dustin on the back. Together, they headed downstairs, leaving Ardyn to rest. 

In the living room, Gladiolus heard telltale woofing and panting sounds that usually meant only one thing. Sure enough, Umbra sat at Noctis’s feet in the middle of the room. Noctis poured over a letter while Prompto pet the dog happily, telling him what a good boy he was. Monica and Ignis were enjoying a warm cup of Ebony.

“What’s the letter say?” Gladiolus asked, easing down on the couch next to Iris. 

“It’s from Luna,” his sister informed him, trying her best to look excited (and failing, looking more than a little envious). 

Noctis nodded. He had been expecting to hear from Luna, just not quite so soon. “She knows.” 

The prince looked pointedly at each of his traveling companions. They froze for a moment.

“Uh, I mean…” Noctis figured he should probably be more clear. “About the Starscourge. She says that all signs of the Scourge have disappeared. The lands feel healthy again, apparently.”

Prompto breathed a little sigh of relief on behalf of all of them. (So Luna did not seem to know the _whole_ truth. Probably better that way.)

“She’s giving us credit for it,” Noctis continued. “She says she knows we had a hand in this somehow.”

“Wow, did you Prince Noctis?” Talcott jumped to his feet, wide-eyed. “Did you really find a way to cure Eos of the Scourge?!” 

Silence fell over half the room.

“Uh, well…” Noctis blushed and averted his gaze. He glanced to Ignis for help, but his advisor did not make eye contact. Clearly saying, ‘I’ve got nothing.’ 

Noctis grunted in frustration. Ignis owed him one after this.

“I bet you did!” Talcott’s eyes were as wide as saucers. “And I bet it was, like, a huge monster, right? Like some giant daemon you guys had to take down piece by piece?”

“Heh heh…” Prompto looked like he was ready to explode. “We’ll, um…tell you the story one day, kiddo…” 

“Seriously?! Come on, tell me now!” Talcott put his hands on his hips. He straightened his back the way he always did when he was trying to make himself look taller. “I can take it! No matter how gruesome the fight was, don’t spare any details!” 

“…Anything else in the letter, Noct?” Ignis asked, taking a hasty sip of his coffee and trying to change the subject. 

“Nope. She’s expecting us in Altissia.” 

“And that’s where we’re headed next. Well done, Noct.” 

“We managed to get all that damn mythril too,” Gladiolus croaked, stretching out on the couch. “Ugh, everything’s a pain in the ass…”

“No complaining!” Iris scolded. Then she and Gladiolus began their own conversation, filling in the details about some more people they knew who had escaped Insomnia. 

Night settled in around the lighthouse. Eventually Ignis and Dustin got up to make dinner. Gladiolus pestered Iris to help, but she was really all thumbs when it came to cooking and they all knew it. So that was a moot point. 

Putting on his apron, Ignis turned to Noctis and Prompto. “Oh, could one of you go check on him upstairs?” (They had already fallen into the habit of referring to Ardyn as “him.” Not for any reason, but his name felt like a powerful thing now that they knew who he really was.) “See if you can get him up.” 

Ignis glanced to the side and added, “Besides, I really don’t think we should leave him alone after nightfall.”

Prompto volunteered immediately. “I’m on it! Call me down when dinner’s ready, okay?” He hurried up the stairs.

In all honesty, Prompto had been trying to think of an excuse to come up here for the past twenty minutes. Nighttime had given him the same thoughts as Ignis, but he didn’t want to seem weird by bringing it up. (Daemons, nighttime? These things went together way too well.) 

Also, he couldn't help putting himself in Ardyn’s place. He had been down on his luck a few times. It never felt good waking up in a dark, strange place all alone. That’s one thing Prompto had learned, anyway. 

_______________________________________________________

Regardless, Ardyn ended up having that same experience. 

Opening his eyes, the chancellor was greeted with nothing but darkness. He froze for a moment. Familiar panic settled in as he had no idea where he was.

Forcing his eyes open all the way (which was still so damn hard to do because of the sleepiness), Ardyn surveyed his surroundings. This was…a small room. Like, a bedroom. Someone’s house. And it was nighttime again. 

Ardyn ran a hand through his hair and tried to sit up. He succeeded. At least some of his strength had returned. He took stock of himself for anything out of place.

Well, one thing that was definitely out of place was his clothing—what on Eos was he wearing? It had been several hundred years since he changed his outfit and now…this? He didn’t own any of these clothes.

Whatever. Ardyn huffed and decided that it didn’t matter. He was feeling refreshed in these breezy kind of clothes. That was a big relief, since he remembered the agony of heatstroke quite well. 

A strange, prickling sensation crept up his shoulders. Ardyn realized that he was alone. Actually alone. For the first time. He could not reach out with his awareness to sense any other creatures as he no longer had that kind of power. And he was not in the direct vicinity of _them—_ those four young men…Noctis, Ignis, Gladiolus, and Prompto. 

Had they…left him?

He could hardly blame them after all. It wasn’t as if Ardyn could contribute anything to their endeavors when he was constantly fading in and out of consciousness. Besides, they were hardly beholden to him. They had managed to bring him to a house somewhere, made sure that he was at least protected from the elements. That was as far as their loyalty went, it seemed.

That was fine. 

Ardyn hadn’t been expecting anything else. 

If his heart was sinking in his chest, his breathing becoming ragged and distressed, then…it was for another reason. Nothing to do with those four. 

He took a deep breath. So this was true loneliness? He had wanted a moment of peace for years and years, ever since the daemons had taken up residence inside him. But now that he had it…Ardyn realized solitude was actually a fearsome thing. He felt lost somehow. Without a purpose.

Subconsciously, he reached out for the daemons. To the place where they usually rested within his mind. He heard nothing at first…then he saw a shadow dart out of view in the corner of his eye. He turned his head rapidly in that direction and found himself looking out the window.

Darkness and a vast sea. That was the view from the window. Ardyn stared a little harder. There were also shadows gathered around the very edges of the window frame. He squinted his eyes, looking a little harder…

…A dark, clawed hand reached out from the shadows. 

Ah. A lesser daemon, probably nothing more than a hobgoblin. Still, it was bold enough to climb on the windowsill, fully visible. It took shape arrogantly, red eyes gleaming at Ardyn, as it crawled along the glass. 

Ardyn stared back at it. He met its gaze without any reaction.

One heartbeat later and the hobgoblin phased through the slim glass. It powers were increasing by the second—probably because of its close proximity to Ardyn himself. Daemons fed off of his power, always had. It’s what gave him his healing abilities and…everything else. 

The hobgoblin cackled as it crawled on all fours. Down the side of the wall and over to Ardyn’s bed. It was moving slow enough, but Ardyn had already made up his mind.

He would let this daemon take him. What was the point in fighting it? If he fought off this one, then more would come back. Even sooner probably, once he expended some of his power. Besides, his most powerful abilities came from communing with the daemons. Why would he try to turn that away, especially now when he was feeling the weakest he had in centuries?

And. Well. Ardyn was just not in the mood to face this kind of severe solitude…

Ardyn closed his eyes. He could already hear the hobgoblin’s thoughts. Simple desires.

_Easy, weak. There. Can feed. Want. Strong body. Good._

Yes, Ardyn thought. Go ahead. Take this pitiful body if you want it so badly! He could already feel its cold claws reaching out to him—

The door creaked open on his other side. Light spilled into the room from the hallway. The hobgoblin shrieked wordlessly and took a few steps back to remain in the shadows.

“Hey, buddy! You’re awake—whoa!” 

Prompto took one step into the room and immediately felt the presence of a daemon. As if that weren’t enough, there was clearly a goblin standing there glaring it him with red beady eyes! It was clawing at the air around Ardyn, hissing like it had already staked some kind of claim.

Well, fuck that! 

Growling in frustration, Prompto summoned his gun out of the Armiger. He fired several shots directly at the daemon. They were close range, and the daemon did not seem to be expecting it. So, Prompto hit him dead on about five times. 

Luckily, it was a weak one. Five bullets in and the daemon evaporated in a puff of gooey smoke. Its creepy presence faded with him. 

“Woo!” Prompto said, once it was the clear the daemon had fled. He inspected the area for anything else lurking in the shadows, but no. They were alone.

The young man turned to Ardyn with an accomplished smile. “Took care of that!”

Ardyn was staring back at him, slack jawed. Prompto liked to believe it was because he was so stunningly impressed by Prompto’s skills, but no. It was probably because he had been very close to getting possessed again. 

Ah, shit. The gunner sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. He felt like an idiot. He really should have come up here sooner, then none of this would have happened at all…or at least he could have prevented Ardyn from waking up in the middle of a daemon invasion.

Prompto plopped himself down on the bed next to the older man. “Sorry I…didn’t get here any sooner. You okay? Did it get you?”

The chancellor looked back at the blonde, still unable to say anything.

Now Prompto was really getting worried. He slid his gun back into the Armiger and put both hands on Ardyn’s shoulders. Maybe he should call Ignis up and have him take a look…he really hoped that no other daemons managed to take over Ardyn before he got there. Wow, that was a really crappy thought!

“Come on, talk to me, man…” Prompto urged quietly. He ran his hand along Ardyn’s face, checking his body for any obvious injuries. There were none that he could see…

Then Prompto felt a larger hand cover his own. He looked back at Ardyn and saw the older man pressing Prompto’s hand closer to his face. His eyes were closed, as if the touch were overwhelming him. 

That expression seemed so painful to the MT. He leaned in closer and called to Ardyn in a soft voice. “Hey…” 

Suddenly Ardyn opened his bright, gold-flecked eyes. “I’m alright…I’m not hurt…”

Oh wow. Had Ardyn’s eyes always been so round and big? Soft? …Lovely, even? 

Pushing all thoughts aside, Prompto planted a kiss on each of Ardyn’s eyes. He meant it to be a thoughtful gesture, but when he was done the older man stuttered a pained sigh as if it hurt. 

…He couldn’t. Ardyn knew he couldn’t hold back anymore. This radiant young man who handled him so gently. The kind of man who chased away daemons and solitude in kind, concerned (for some godsforsaken reason) above all with Ardyn’s well-being. 

Prompto was so damn beautiful. It was absolutely maddening.

Saying nothing else, Ardyn pressed his mouth against the younger man’s neck. He placed sloppy, open-mouthed kisses along every sweet inch of skin he could reach. He sucked wide red marks into the creamy flesh there, relishing Prompto’s taste like he was a full meal.

“O…kay…” Prompto said hesitantly, trying not to moan. But Ardyn’s mouth kissed him right down to the muscle. It was starting to make Prompto antsy—alright, he was getting pretty hot and bothered. 

Ardyn’s mind slipped away from him. He knew only one thing for sure, he wanted Prompto. All of him. Everything, anything. He could not wait any longer.

So, Ardyn pushed Prompto down onto the bed. He hovered over the young boy with hungry eyes. It looked as if those rust-colored eyes were giving off sparks. It was an intimidating sight, but fuck if it didn’t turn Prompto on too.

“Prompto!” 

Ignis called up to them from downstairs. It had an effect on Prompto—who stood stock still on instinct—but Ardyn kept right on going. He kissed hungrily down the MT’s neck, lifting up Prompto’s shirt around his stomach. 

When that belly was exposed, Ardyn pounced on it immediately. He nibbled all along Prompto’s quivering abdomen, licking and tasting as he went. Heedless of any stretch marks therein (which Prompto did not exactly love sharing with new partners). Far from being turned off, Ardyn found those stretch marks and licked each one with his tongue—savoring every last detail about Prompto.

“Y-y-yeah…?” Prompto called down.

“Is everything alright? We thought we heard shouting or…did you fire your weapon?”

“Y-yeah, ah…no! No, everything’s fine! We’re…f-fine!”Then, to Ardyn, Prompto said, “Whoa, wait!” Because the older man had already unzipped Prompto’s jeans and was working through the process of pulling off those tight pants. 

“Alright!” Ignis continued from downstairs. “Dinner should be ready in a moment.”

“Ehhh…Okay…There in a—j-jiffy!” Prompto bit his hand to keep from shouting. Ardyn had already pulled down Prompto’s briefs and was nuzzling his surprised, painfully hard cock with a look of relish. 

Thankfully, he heard Ignis walk away. 

“Alright man, shit,” Prompto began, holding Ardyn’s face in both hands to stop him. “Hang a sec, the door’s still open.” 

He squirmed to try and stand up. He just needed to close the door and then they could continue—

Ardyn grabbed him by the waist. “Don’t care.” He pushed the shirt the rest of the way off Prompto’s body, leaving him practically naked. Exposed, with his pants around his thighs. 

“Ah, damn…” the gunner whined. Ardyn was being a little forceful with him, but…honestly, Prompto wasn’t putting up much of a fight.

This man’s hands, his mouth, his constant, imploring attention…Prompto was a sucker for these kinds of things. Besides, he was still crazy attracted to Ardyn—especially now that he knew Ardyn was cured of the Scourge. Taking care of the man for the past few days had only made him even more attractive some how…

Ardyn nipped hard along Prompto’s hip, pushing the boy’s legs open. 

Fuck, fine. Prompto would let Ardyn have his way. (Besides, hadn’t Ignis said they needed to give this guy lots of sex? Who was Prompto to argue with that?) 

Ardyn’s mind was engulfed in a hellfire of want. Prompto tasted like an incongruous mix of something sweet and savory. Like dinner covered in syrup. It was irresistible. He lapped at the small space between Prompto’s groin and thighs, that tiny highly sensitive strip of flesh. He loved the way Prompto twitched in his arms as a result. 

He was so hard for Prompto. Beyond just his dick—which was as hard it was possible to get before he started passing out—Ardyn’s nipples were erect, begging for attention. Every part of him wanted this boy. 

“Are you…” Prompto looked at Ardyn warily, a smile on his lips. “…sure you’re okay?”

Ardyn smiled back at him. His own, newly mortal body had started quivering with need. He was probably very far from okay, when you looked at it objectively.

But. With this shining, tasty young man underneath him? Spread out like a meal on a platter? (Oh, that eager pink cock. Twitching already. Just like Prompto.) How could anything be wrong?

“Yes.” Ardyn nodded once, face alight with eagerness and excitement. “I’m quite well, thank you.” 

“Heh, if you say so.” Prompto nodded and sat up. He wrapped his arms around Ardyn’s neck. “Let’s see what you’ve got then.” 

Grinning, Prompto kissed Ardyn full on the mouth. It was their first time sharing such a direct kiss, and they met each other with a kind of electricity Ardyn was not used to. There was no feeling out this kiss, testing and tasting each other. Instead, Prompto came at him with all his strength. They clashed teeth a little, but even that just seemed like part of the moment. Ardyn held onto the younger man in his lap and tried to keep up. 

He wanted to be inside this younger man. He wanted to touch all of him, to reach his innermost depths.

Oh…Ardyn shook as he imagined that. He wanted it now.

Using some hidden reserves of strength, Ardyn flipped Prompto around and pushed the boy down on all fours. 

“Whoa!” Prompto cried. But he was laughing. “Getting a little feisty…”

“Apologies,” Ardyn answered. “But you are… _delightful_ , my dear…” 

Prompto could not help crooning at the praise. The noise reached Ardyn and he knew instantly what he needed to do.

“I am…so very enthralled by you, Prompto.” Ardyn bent over the smaller man and lapped at his ear. “Will my desire for you never cease? Shall I crave you for the rest of our long lives?” 

“Ah…” Prompto sighed in pleasure. He was starting to bend forward, slowly presenting himself to Ardyn.

Fuck yeah, that was his button. Being lavished with unnecessary compliments. Prompto could not help submitting to anyone who praised him during sex. He didn’t even care, really, all the other guys knew. 

Now Ardyn knew too. That felt…right.

“Let’s find out how beautiful you become in the throes of pleasure, shall we? Though, if it’s any more beautiful than this, I’ll surely go mad…”

Alright, it was kind of cheesy sex talk. Prompto admitted that to himself. But by all hell, it was working. For whatever reason. (Probably because it sounded genuine coming from Ardyn. This was who he was.) Prompto moaned between his teeth and dropped his head down onto his forearms, offering his lower half up to Ardyn.

“That…is exquisite, my dear. Hold it like that for me.” 

Ardyn’s mind had completely shut down for anything that wasn’t pleasuring Prompto. He took off his clothes in a mad rush and got down on his knees, eye-level with Prompto’s round ass. He nipped one of the boy’s cheeks playfully, loving how Prompto cried out sharply in response. Then, he spread Prompto’s cheeks apart, surveying the boy’s sweet, tight hole. It made Ardyn quite literally start to salivate.

Licking his chops, Ardyn bent forward and dragged his tongue along Prompto’s entrance. 

“Ahh! Sh-shit!” Prompto clenched around him. All tremors and unexpected pleasure.

“Mmmm…” Ardyn moaned, high off the intimacy of this situation. 

He licked Prompto’s hole all over, darted his tongue in and out just passed the ring of muscle. Mostly to tease, but also because it set Ardyn’s own blood to boiling, knowing exactly what he was doing to this wonderful young man. He took his time—as much time as he could—eating Prompto out. 

He wanted this boy to be ready for him. To enjoy it as much as Ardyn himself surely would. 

“Ar-ardynnnn…” Prompto moaned, throwing his head back. “Fuck, that feels so good.” 

Seriously, had Ardyn spent his two thousand years on nothing but tongue technique? Prompto was losing his damn mind here!

Slipping off Prompto with an obscene wet sound—still connected to Prompto’s ass by a string of saliva—Ardyn straightened himself out. He got onto position on his knees behind Prompto. 

“Are you ready, darling?” Ardyn drawled, the engorged tip of his cock already sliding into Prompto’s open entrance. 

“Y-yes! Do it, come on!” Prompto nodded and prepared himself for a good fucking.

And Ardyn did not disappoint. He thrust into Prompto hard, forgetting to hold himself back. Once he was buried in that white-hot tightness, Ardyn forgot everything.

This. This sweet, divine boy impaled on his cock. This was heaven. Ardyn was sure of it. Perhaps he really was cured of the Scourge, if he was able to experience something so holy. 

Ardyn pumped in and out of Prompto with jagged intensity. It hurt at first, but then Prompto heard the way Ardyn was grunting with the effort of each thrust. That turned the blonde man on quite a bit. He liked knowing what he was doing to Ardyn, that he was making Ardyn lose his composure.

And that fat dick inside him…Prompto wasn’t getting tired of that any time soon. 

Ardyn punched up against Prompto’s sweet spot on the next thrust. Such thick force, right there! The MT barked out a short cry. He wasn’t sure what that sounded like, but…it didn’t sound one hundred percent human, either. 

Prompto blushed, biting his lip in embarrassment. He rarely ever let even the other guys hear him make a noise like that. 

When Ardyn heard it, realization dawned on him. Oh, that’s right. This boy was an MT. 

Sweating and panting from exertion (and from holding back his climax), Ardyn grinned widely. Suffice to say, this was not his first time with an MT. He had…experimented in the past. So to speak.

Ardyn reached around to Prompto’s chest. He fondled Prompto’s ample pectorals—such a lovely feel—tweaking his nipples as he went. Judging by the way Prompto’s head twisted from side to side, that felt rather good. But Ardyn had a very specific destination in mind. His fingers traced along Prompto’s sternum, feeling out a path. 

There was a slight indentation right in the middle of Prompto’s torso. Just underneath his sternum, between both sets of ribs. Ardyn was fairly certain this was the spot. He pressed two fingers into the indentation curiously.

“J-j-j-jeez…! Wh-what the hell is—oh!” 

Ah. There it was.

Ardyn smiled, nodding to himself. He rubbed small circles into that small dip in the boy’s flesh. It heated up under his fingers quite nicely.

Sparks and hazy signals ran through every part of Prompto’s body. His jaw quivered and his dick started twitching like he was going to come at any moment. The only thing he could make out in the mix of signals was pleasure—a deep, uncontrollable type of pleasure. His body was coming undone.

“Ah…w-wait…” Prompto cried, eyes rolling back in his head.

Ardyn’s back arched and he raised his angle, positioning all his weight on his knees. He could feel them both approaching climax…he could taste it on his lips, there was no backing down now…

The only problem was that Ardyn’s strength was starting to give. His exhaustion from earlier settled deep in his bones, making his limbs start to shake with the effort of holding himself up and fucking Prompto.

Oh, no…Ardyn grimaced, realizing his was losing footing. He was about to give out—

So close to climax, Ardyn’s strength buckled. He collapsed on top of Prompto right before they reached the edge, sending them both crashing down onto the bed. 

Archaeons alive. How…humiliating. Ardyn had to admit that nothing quite that bad had ever happened to him during sex before. Especially not during sex as marvelous as this.

Grimacing in shame, Ardyn pulled out of Prompto and rolled onto his back. The boy was clearly unspent, panting and confused.

“Ah, I…apologize for that…” Ardyn mumbled, looking down in uncharacteristic nervousness. How to get passed this point…? (Because, let’s face it, he still wanted to fuck Prompto very much. Except he doubted the feeling would be returned now that Prompto saw how feeble Ardyn was. How…old.)

“No, that’s okay.” Prompto got up onto his knees. 

When Ardyn looked at him, he saw the boy was smiling. That radiant smile. He seemed slightly bashful, but not put out.

“I wanted to suggest another position at first because I thought that one might be a little much for you right now, but…it felt really good so…heh…” Prompto grinned awkwardly. “I’m sorry too, I guess. For pushing you.”

All of Ardyn’s embarrassment disappeared in a wave of affection for this kid. “You’ve done nothing wrong, my dear,” Ardyn assured him, tugging Prompto’s chin in closer for another kiss. 

They kissed slowly for a few minutes. Then Prompto said, “Here. Let’s try…like this.” 

Showing his lover what he meant, Prompto pulled Ardyn up into a sitting position, making sure the older man was propped up against a bunch of pillows. Then Prompto turned around so his back was facing Ardyn. He climbed into the older man’s lap just like that, easing himself down onto Ardyn’s cock. By this point, Ardyn’s dick slipped into him without much resistance. They both sighed when they were connected again. It was a kind of reverse cowboy, with Prompto’s back pressed up against Arydn’s chest. It was easy and deep, just what they needed right in that moment. 

“And then you can…touch there…” Prompto took Ardyn’s hand and pressed it against his sternum, clearly eager for Ardyn to finger that indentation again.

Pleased in the extreme, Ardyn did as Prompto asked. He purred against Prompto’s ear, canting his hips upward to meet Prompto’s hips. It gave them a few more inches of depth and it was quite satisfying.

“That,” Ardyn explained, speaking right into Prompto’s ear and pressing that spot on his chest. “Is your core. It’s where all the magical energy in your body is stored. I like to use it like this…”

Taking all that in, along with the fuzzy, unreal kind of pleasure it gave him, Prompto nodded fiercely. He was already approaching orgasm again.

A few more thrusts and Ardyn was right there with him. He was sweating again, very eager to finally have the relief of an orgasm. 

There was one more thing he wanted to hear. “Do they know?” Ardyn asked. He did not need to specify who (the other three men, obviously). “Do they know what this spot does to you?”

Prompto shook his head no. They definitely did not know. Hell, before tonight, even Prompto himself had not known anything about his core! Ardyn taught him something new. About being an MT and about sex. 

As soon as Ardyn saw Prompto tell him no, he came. That thought—that he and Prompto shared something just between them, at least for now—was enough to drive him over the edge. He rammed his hips upward and spilled himself inside Prompto without warning (actually he had meant to give a warning, but that feeling was so intense it caught him off guard). 

As Ardyn came, he pressed particularly hard down on Prompto’s core, managing to hit the young man’s sweet spot as well. Engulfed in pleasure, Prompto came as well—hard and fast. All over himself. He rode back against Ardyn’s cock while his climax tore through him. 

When it was finally over, Prompto lay sprawled all over Ardyn. The older man was lying all the way back now, already on the edge of sleep. His body felt warm—pleasured and so, so comfortable, resounding with life and some latent remnants of joy. He needed rest now, the former immortal knew. He needed to rest and regain his strength. 

Prompto pulled himself up, off Ardyn’s dick. He turned around with a satisfied sigh. He wanted to gush to Ardyn about how awesome that sex had been—and really, it had been—but he saw how tired Ardyn looked. 

“Sleeping already?” Prompto asked, chuckling under his breath. He placed a kiss on his older lover’s forehead. “Go ahead. Take a nap. I have to go to the bathroom and clean up—don’t want to get a stomachache tomorrow. But I’ll be back in a minute.” 

Ardyn nodded sleepily at Prompto. He was distantly aware that all of this made sense, and he trusted implicitly that Prompto would be back when he was done.

Good thing Talcott’s room had a bathroom attached so Prompto didn’t have to walk far, and—oh shit, they just had sex on Talcott’s bed. 

Well. That was…not great. Probably some kind of low level criminal offense, having sex on a kid’s bed. But…maybe no one needed to know. They could do laundry before they left for Altissia.

Heh…whoops. But Prompto could hardly say he regretted going there with Ardyn. It had been fantastic. 

______________________________________

A few minutes later, Noctis opened the door to Talcott’s room to find Prompto just pulling on his shirt. Ardyn was tucked into bed—naked at least to the waist, from what the prince could see.

He sighed. “Really, Prompto?”

Surprised, not hearing Noctis come up behind him, Prompto jumped a little. Then he turned around (rather relieved to have been caught by Noctis, out of all the choices). 

“Oh, hey bro. Umm…heh, ah, yeah…” Prompto scratched his head awkwardly. He was not embarrassed about being with Ardyn, nor was he embarrassed at getting caught…it was just the whole location part. 

Noctis shook his head, realizing he was going to be able to torture Prompto with this for years to come. “You just had sex in a nine-year-old’s room. How does that feel, you nasty perv?”

“Shh!” Prompto grabbed Noctis by the arm, looking around to make sure no one was nearby to hear that. 

Seeing his friend so frantic—and clearly still coming down from what looked like a great round of sex—made Noctis unbelievably happy. He laughed from deep in his chest, holding back his giggles so he didn’t make a scene.

Prompto turned to Noctis with a bewildered look. He had not heard Noctis laugh like that…probably since before they graduated high school. It was such a refreshing sound. Prompto didn’t even mind that he was being teased. He just knew that, if it was at all possible, he wanted to hear Noctis laugh like that again.

Slapping his friend on the shoulder, Prompto giggled right back at him. Then he said, “Come on, let’s find Iggy and Gladio. I gotta tell you guys something.”

The four of them huddled together in a small room with two beds. Prompto explained in a rush that he had taken out a daemon in Ardyn’s room. Then Ignis made him retell the whole story slowly, step by step. Which he did (conveniently leaving out the sex part).

When he was finished, Ignis nodded slowly. “It seems my suspicions were correct. The daemons are drawn to him.” 

“Yeah, I don’t think we can leave him alone at night. Like, ever. At least for now.”

“Indeed.”

They all absorbed this information in silence for a few moments.

Then Noctis said, barely holding back his laugher, “…So anyway, Prompto and Ardyn had sex in Talcott’s room.”

Ignis and Gladiolus turned sharply towards Prompto, shock and hilarity written on their faces (respectively). 

“…Seriously, Noct?” Prompto couldn’t even look at his best friend.

Ignis sighed. “I think you better retell this story, Prompto. The complete version this time, please.” 

The gunner threw his hands up in defeat. “Alright, but can we at least talk about this over there, with Ardyn? For safety’s sake? I’m nervous leaving him alone now.” 

“Fine.”

Prompto nudged Noctis in retaliation as they made their way to Talcott’s room. But he still couldn’t find it in himself to be angry, not in the least. 

Noct just looked so damn happy. For a guy who was almost never happy, that was a pretty nice change. Prompto wouldn’t mess with that. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Switch!Ardyn is boss.
> 
> It'll probably take a little longer for the next update. Thanks for sticking with me, guys! I <3 all of you.


	3. Clean

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To the boat!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to stop pretending I know how many chapters this is going to be.

**Chapter Three: Clean**

Ill at ease because of Prompto’s story about the daemon, the four of them decided to spend the night in Ardyn’s room. It was phenomenally small (far too small for all five of them), but they managed to make it work. 

Noctis and Prompto squeezed into the bed on either side of Ardyn. Gladiolus slept in a sitting position on the floor, face pressed into the mattress as he got tired. He told himself he would be the last one to sleep, not wanting to let his guard down under the threat of daemons. Ignis slept in a chair by the window. The advisor told himself that he would be able to sense any daemons from the outside if he sat there, so it was theoretically the most dangerous place to sleep. And therefore it was safest for the group if he spent the night there.

As a result, Ardyn woke up sandwiched in between Noctis and Prompto. They had latched onto him from either side, Prompto with his face buried in Ardyn’s neck and Noctis sleeping soundly on Ardyn’s chest. 

It was…warm. When he opened his eyes, Ardyn saw the sun shining in through the window, covering the two boys and himself with light. He needed to blink to verify that he was seeing and feeling everything correctly. 

But he was. How…beautiful. 

His heart quivered in his chest. Not for the first time since all of this began, but it was the first time Ardyn was willing to admit it to himself. He did not want to move. He liked being wrapped in their arms, being so clearly enjoyed by the two of them. 

A memory of the loneliness he had felt the night before sent a shiver down his spine. He realized then that loneliness was going to be a part of this ( _this,_ being this new life he had suddenly awaken to). But only one part. There would be…more. Things like waking up surrounded by four beautiful men.

Who, it seemed, were far more loyal to him than Ardyn originally expected. They were going to stay with him—it was impossible to know for how long, but from the looks of things, they had no desire to leave him. 

The former immortal closed his eyes against a rush of relief. He tried to tell himself many things in that moment, ( _it was fine before and it’s fine now, this is just temporary, none of this matters_ ) but all of those things were drowned by the sheer relief flooding his mind. 

They were still here. …Why?

…But what did the ‘why’ matter? They were still here. And that was…so wonderful. 

Ardyn told himself not to ask too many questions. For the sake of his own sanity.

___________________________________________________

Everyone else woke up slowly. Ignis and Gladiolus first, followed by Prompto, who needed to shake Noctis awake. The five of them shared good morning greetings, smiles, and…more. Prompto and Noctis bent across Ardyn’s chest to kiss each other on the lips. Then Gladiolus leaned over to nip Noctis playfully on the neck. The prince laughed and kissed his Shield, softly but passionately. He even slapped the bigger man’s ass in retaliation.

It was quite the sight. Ardyn knew he could have watched much more of that, but. He was already sporting some morning wood—for the first time in centuries. And this display was only making matters worse…

“Thanks for taking care of Prompto last night,” Noctis said to Ardyn, almost as an aside while he threaded his fingers in Gladiolus’s hair. “Heard you did a pretty good job on him.” 

“Heh,” the MT chuckled, bending down to kiss Ardyn’s cheek affectionately. 

(Actually, it was more the other way around. Prompto had decidedly saved Ardyn and then tended to his needs. But…no one was correcting Noctis. So.) 

Ardyn glanced between the four of them. How were they so comfortable sharing…? All of these intricate little entanglements were baring themselves, and yet there was not a hint of tension in the room. If anything, Noctis looked happy (and strangely proud) that Ardyn and Prompto had fucked. 

“You four have a very…unique relationship, don’t you?” Ardyn commented, rolling up into a sitting position. 

Gladiolus stopped worrying the flesh on Noctis’s ear for a moment and looked down at the older man. He frowned, genuinely confused. “How so?”

All Ardyn could do was blink in response. “Ah, well…that’s…” 

“Regardless,” Ignis interrupted. “Now that we’re all awake, we best get ready for the day. Cindy and Cid should be arriving within the hour. I believe the Marshal will be in their company as well.” 

“Headed to Altissia today, right?” Prompto asked, springing to his feet and stretching. 

Ignis nodded. “Correct.” He fixed Ardyn with a passive stare. “You’d best take a shower, Ardyn, and then join us for some breakfast. You’re looking more alert this morning, but his Highness will stay with you if you require any assistance.” 

Ardyn’s eyes slid over towards Noctis. The prince flashed him a grin that could only be described as predatory. He nodded in agreement with what Ignis said, eyes running down Ardyn’s bare chest. The chancellor needed to swallow to contain a surge of arousal filtering through his system. Noctis would be the one to…? 

“That’s our cue, champ,” Gladiolus said to Prompto, standing up to pull the gunner towards the door. “Let’s go make sure the marina’s ready.” 

Prompto glanced back at Ardyn. His eyes were full of curiosity, glee, and maybe…gratitude…? But Gladiolus ushered him out before Prompto could say anything. 

Meanwhile, Noctis came up behind Ignis and wrapped the bespectacled man in a hug. Ardyn watched Ignis’s face soften a bit, his hands coming up to meet Noctis’s around his waist. The prince nuzzled the side of Ignis’s face and pressed a tender kiss to the back of his neck, muttering something Ardyn could not hear.

Breaking into a small grin, Ignis leaned back and pecked Noctis on the cheek. “Of course, Majesty,” he said in husky voice. 

Ardyn’s eyebrows shot up as he watched the exchange. 

Sparing the chancellor a nod, Ignis left to tend to breakfast. “Make something delicious!” Noctis called after him. 

By the Six. Was this how things were between all of them? Ardyn mused. He had really never seen a relationship like this. Not one so lovey-dovey nor so open. How was it possible…?

“Alright. So.” Noctis clapped his hands and walked over to Ardyn. “Time to get washed up. …Probably overdue, I guess.”

The lingering surge of excitement spread through Ardyn. Part of his mind told him to forget the shower, to forget Altissia and everything else. Just drag Noctis back to bed…oh, how he wanted to do that. Being with Prompto had successfully increased Ardyn’s confidence, it seemed. He was feeling like he could show Noctis an enjoyable time. 

He licked his lips as ideas ran through his head.

“Tch.” Noctis grinned back at him and shook his head. “You’re thinking about fucking me aren’t you?” 

Barely containing his surprise (such fowl language from a prince!), Ardyn laughed in response. He threw his hands up in defeat. “What can I say? You do invite such notions, Majesty…” 

Noctis laughed himself now. He tossed one leg over Ardyn’s stomach and straddled the older man’s hips. Ardyn liked where this was going. Bending down, Noctis said in a throaty voice, “Can’t believe you still want more. But…I guess it makes sense. We really made you feel good that time. And…your body remembers.” 

To demonstrate, Noctis ran one hand down Ardyn’s chest. The prince’s hands were smooth and quite tantalizing. Ardyn moaned, zooming in on the pale skin of Noctis’s neck. 

Oh yes, his body remembered. Noctis especially. This boy’s light pulsing inside of him…how could anyone forget an experience like that? 

“Still…” Noctis moved back, creating some distance between them. “We really need to get you out of this bed. It’s been forever since you showered and I don’t want Cor to think we’re holding you prisoner or something.”

“Hmmph.” Ardyn followed him and licked the soft flesh on Noctis’s neck. He could not be bothered with such thoughts right now. Not with Noctis in his arms, dappled in sunlight, the smell of fresh air wafting in through the window. 

He wanted to tumble in bed with the prince for the rest of the morning. Perhaps even the rest of the day.

Noctis giggled, kissing Ardyn’s forehead, but not relenting to the touch. He scrambled off the bed, holding onto Ardyn’s hand. “Come on. There’ll be plenty of time for that later. I promise.” 

The chancellor grunted in disappointment. He felt cold where Noctis had been, a little frustrated. (Damn, what was happening to his body? It seemed so dependent on physical contact right now, eager for sex whenever he laid eyes on one of the four. But fuck, the sex last night had felt so good, and he knew it would be just as good with Noctis…it was so hard to think around that. Like a haze clouding his thoughts.) 

Noctis tugged on Ardyn’s hand. “Let’s see if you can stand up.” 

Frowning against his frustration, Ardyn slowly swung his legs out from under the blankets, onto the floor. The change in position made him slightly dizzy—and he noticed some dried white stains on his stomach and thighs. …Right. Showering was probably a good idea. (He felt distantly embarrassed to think of trying to fuck Noctis while he was still covered in cum from the night before. Not a big deal, but…it would still be a first.)

So, taking a deep breath to chase away his persistent desire, Ardyn struggled to his feet. He realized he had hardly walked or stood at all the day before and he felt understandably a little weak. He gripped Noctis’s shoulder for support automatically, pulling away only when he realized who he was leaning on. 

Really, this was Noctis. Ardyn should be more…something. Stronger, maybe. Not quite so defenseless. 

But Noctis seemed completely unperturbed. Holding Ardyn’s hand and his upper arm, the prince led Ardyn over to the connecting bathroom. Telling the older man to lean on him for support (which Ardyn complied with, out of fear that he might fall to the ground otherwise), Noctis turned on the shower. He adjusted the temperature, even held Ardyn’s hand under the water and asked if it felt okay. 

Ardyn nodded once in approval. The water was…wet. Obviously, but…Ardyn could not remember the last time he had touched water. Anything from nature was anathema to the daemons, especially running water. Being caught in the rain a few times was hell—the daemons clamored around inside of him, screaming in pain and sending a burning sensation through Ardyn by proxy. 

But this was just…water. Nothing else. If anything, the former immortal felt the pores on his skin opening in response, as if ready to be doused. 

Ardyn held his hand under the shower head in amazement.

“Go ahead,” Noctis said, prodding Ardyn into the shower. “I’ll be there in a second.” 

Once he was submerged under the spray, Ardyn could not hold back a bone-weary sigh. He felt grime rolling off his skin. How much grime could there be, he wondered, though most of it felt like it was coming from underneath his skin. From somewhere near his soul. 

Then he felt hands on his shoulders. Opening his eyes, Ardyn saw a naked Noctis coming in alongside him. He squinted to take in the full sight, but Noctis pushed himself up against Ardyn’s back before he could truly appreciate the bare-assed prince. 

Warm, wet arms and a slick body touching him. Ardyn felt immobilized by all the new (long forgotten) sensations. He just stood there while Noctis held up the soap, explaining what Ardyn needed to do with it. 

At a loss, Ardyn followed the prince’s directions. It did not occur to him to do anything else. He lathered himself everywhere Noctis told him to, then sighed happily while the prince spread water all over to rinse him off. 

This was more intimate than anything Ardyn could remember. Even when he was mortal, Ardyn could not recall something like this. Hands wandering everywhere on his body—even in places that should have been embarrassing—unfaltering and gentle. Then Noctis grabbed the bottle of shampoo and poured it onto Ardyn’s scalp. He rubbed the shampoo in, then gestured to Ardyn what he should do to get it out. The older man complied, rather intoxicated by how good it felt to wash his hair after so long. 

By the time they were finished, Ardyn needed to lean against the wall to keep himself upright. Seeing that, Noctis quickly rinsed himself and turned off the water. He let Ardyn lean on him again while he dried the two of them with a nearby towel. 

Ardyn felt clean. …Cleanliness. What a concept. His skin seemed to sigh in comfort, clearly happy to be clean again after so long. 

Satisfaction. Happiness. There were tiny inklings of emotions scratching at the surface of his inner self. He had not let himself even think about these kinds of feelings in…

Ardyn looked seriously at Noctis. He took hold of the younger man’s hands. “Tell me. Is this…real?” 

He needed to know. Now, before anything else happened. He needed to know if this was all some trick or not.

Noctis met his gaze. “Is what real?”

“…This…” Ardyn gestured widely to everything around them. The shower, the window, Noctis, and then finally himself. He did not know how else to describe it.

Noctis’s eyes widened as he realized what Ardyn meant. Nodding, Noctis pressed their foreheads together. “Yeah. Trust me, it’s real.” 

Ardyn closed his eyes, leaning closer to the prince. Yes. The evidence was insurmountable now. This was not a trick. Noctis was not lying to him. It would be impossible to pull off something like that. 

This—all these feelings, all these experiences—was his reality now.

__________________________________________________________

By the time Noctis and Ardyn came downstairs, clothed and dried off, Cindy and Cid had already arrived. They were all sitting around the table, Cor included, right at Gladiolus’s side. 

Ardyn felt the weight of many gazes on him all at once—only a select few people he actually knew. Still, his own eyes focused in on the food spread around the table. There were many dishes here—clearly made by many people—and they all looked _delightful_ …

The crowd called out greetings. Noctis tugged Ardyn over to a seat next to his at the table. Prompto scooted next to Ardyn immediately.

“Whoa…” the gunner said, clearly in awe, as he patted Ardyn’s recently blow-dried hair. “Your hair gets a lot…fluffier when it’s clean, huh?”

Ardyn realized he had not actually looked in the mirror after he and Noctis finished getting dressed. He was still wearing the same outfit he had woken up in the night before and truthfully he had no idea how he looked. 

But Prompto seemed pleased. And Noctis had been wearing a surreptitious smile ever since they got out of the shower. These things were enough affirmation for him. So Ardyn just smiled back at Prompto and got ready to enjoy some food. (He would have to be ready for things like that, now…)

“High Chancellor Izunia….?” 

Cor stared over at Ardyn in disbelief. Oh right, Ardyn realized, glancing back at him. He had seen this man before. He was in service to King Regis, in some capacity. ’The Immortal,’ Ardyn’s memory supplied.

Personally, Ardyn could not care less what Cor thought of him. He was not in the least bit concerned with his position as chancellor, and someone like Cor would never have aroused any of Ardyn’s interest. More than anything, he was fascinated by the food in front of them. So, he just nodded and uttered a saccharine (inevitably sarcastic), “Good morning.” 

“Chancellor…?” Dustin and Monica exchanged glances, while Iris and Cor rounded on Gladiolus, as if demanding answers.

Gladiolus nodded firmly. Then he looked at Iris and nodded again. “Yep,” the Shield confirmed, saying nothing else.

That seemed to be enough for Cor. The Immortal nodded, trusting Gladiolus’s judgement, while Iris huffed at being kept out of the loop.

Cindy and Cid griped for a moment about how “their ribs were showing” they were so hungry. (It seemed they were not alarmed by Cor’s realization in the slightest. Whether through ignorance or trust, it was unclear.) So, Dustin muttered a small prayer and they tucked into the large meal. 

It felt like a family affair. A meal among relatives. 

Right at the start, Ardyn lost himself to the warm, wonderful taste of the food. He sampled each dish, shoving food in his mouth as his stomach rumbled for more and more. Of course—just like last time—Ardyn ended up choking around a particularly large bite.

All eyes turned to him again.

Ignis leaned behind Prompto and said, “Remember to eat slowly, Ardyn.” 

Laughing it off, Noctis patted Ardyn on the back and said, “He’s just a fast eater.” 

“Knew a guy like that when I was young,” Cid commented. “No idea how he stayed so lean. Guy ate everything in sight, I tell ya…” 

And so, Cid regaled them all with a rambling tale of days gone by. Conversation passed with some amicable ribbing all around. Everyone kept pestering Talcott to eat more, and when they tired of that, they turned to Ardyn and pushed more food on him. Cindy remarked how Ardyn “looked hungry,” and really, who could say otherwise?

When the meal was finished, they cleared the table slowly while Cor explained the current political climate in Altissia. He told them about the Secretary and how she was keeping Lunafreya under guard. He also explained that the Empire itself had been in light disarray lately—leading missions with no discernible purpose. As if they were starting to chase their own tails. Cor explained that he had no idea why this was…but he glanced pointedly over at Ardyn, who was on the edge of dozing in his seat after that sumptuous meal.

“We just need to talk to Luna,” Noctis assured him. “Then we’ll figure things out.”

Cor took a deep breath before agreeing. “I trust you, Majesty,” he said aloud. “I’ll keep Lucis under my watch while you’re away.” 

“Thank you for everything, Marshal,” Ignis said sincerely.

They all exchanged looks. It was clear how much mutual respect there was in that room. 

Before long, Cid got up and declared, “So. We heading out tonight? Seems like as good a time as any.” 

Prompto grinned, eager (as they all were) to see Altissia. “What do you say, Noct? Is it time?” 

“Sure.” Noctis stood up, making eye contact with Ignis and Gladiolus. “Why not? We’re ready. Let’s go.” 

“Alright! Up and at ’em, big guy.” Prompto jostled Ardyn awake and helped him to his feet. The chancellor muttered some thanks and followed the younger man.

After a round of goodbyes that left poor Talcott in tears, they boarded the boat Cid was chartering for them. Evening had settled in, but it was going to be a clear night. The water was smooth, no clouds in the sky. 

Noctis hoped their journey would be the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short update! I want to post more soon, but I think it's good to keep up the pace for now. 
> 
> (By the way, yes, they were using the same table from that scene in all the Fast and Furious movies. In case you were wondering.)


	4. Sick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To Altissia!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really happy I got this chapter up before the weekend is over! Huzzah! 
> 
> Here's a bunch more sexy times, y'all :)

**Chapter Four: Sick**

It was hard not to be impressed by the vast ocean all around them. Noctis was especially taken. He liked watching the waves lapping against the side of boat, to look out for miles and see water on all sides, with just a vague outline of Altissia in the distance.

Unfortunately, Ardyn started feeling ill as soon as the boat started. He did not know why at first—he had been on an uncountable number of boats in the past with no trouble—but this time was different. He could feel the boat bobbing up and down with each pulse of the sea. The deck of the ship rocked in kind. 

It was nauseating. He sat down near the rails and took deep breaths.

Cid cackled from the captain’s seat. “Everyone got their sea legs?”

“Almost everyone…” Gladiolus answered, looking at Ardyn with a thin line of worry on his face. 

Prompto sat next to Ardyn and rubbed the older man’s back, telling him to lean over the side if he needed to throw up.

Ignis took stock of the situation. The ride to Altissia, he knew, would only be a few hours. But still, there was no need to pass the time in unnecessary agony. So, he instructed Prompto to take Ardyn downstairs, below deck. There was less motion on the lower levels of the ship, and the boat had a few built-in cots laid out down there. 

The MT did as he was told. Below deck, Ardyn was able to lie back and get some uneasy sleep. At least he could try to keep himself as immobile as possible if he spread out his limbs and stayed completely still. The nausea in his stomach kept threatening to bubble up in his throat, making the sickness a kind of constant thing.

Ah. Sickness. That’s right, mortals fell ill. Every rose had its thorns, and not every part of being alive was so lovely. Ardyn took a deep breath as he remembered things like colds, flus, allergies, and motion sickness (his current affliction). 

…Great. The chancellor sighed and settled in for a long trip.

Above deck, Ignis surveyed the rest of their supplies. He was actually rather proud of the job they had done maintaining a good amount of wares and ingredients. Even objectively speaking, their group had been frugal enough throughout their travels in Lucis. That pleased the advisor. Beyond that, he found exactly what he was looking for: Beetroot, funguar, Halldagh nutmeg, alstroom, and a dash of Kettier ginger. With these, Ignis could make his old concoction, perfect for this situation. He gathered the ingredients and made for the small kitchenette halfway down the stairs.

Noctis spied Ignis plugging in the blender. He saw the ingredients in his advisor’s hands and nodded, smiling happily. “Good idea, Specs. That’ll do the trick.” Then he paused, glancing away for a moment. “But, uh…just so you know, I’m fine, okay?” 

Ignis sighed, piling the ingredients into the blender with a splash of milk. “You’re getting your own as well, Majesty. There’s enough here for two glasses at least.”

“Ugh.” Noctis wrinkled his nose, feeling slightly more ill at the thought of all those disgusting vegetables packed into one mushy mess…a mixture he had tasted many times before. How could he get out of this one…? 

By the time Ignis finished making the drink, Noctis was laying on the couch on the top deck pretending to be asleep. Not fooled for a second, Ignis prodded the prince awake and pushed the glass into his hand. 

“Come on…” Noctis grumbled, looking around at Prompto and Gladiolus for help. On this, his friends stayed remarkably silent. Then the prince thought about just pouring the thing over the side of the ship, but then…that would probably piss off Ignis. And Noctis wasn’t really that much of a dick…

Ignis shook his head. “Just a few sips, Majesty. No need to be dramatic.” 

Sighing, but relenting because he could see that Ignis was going to be firm on this, Noctis forced back two mouthfuls of the drink.

“…Blegh!” he cried, putting the glass on the floor and forcing himself not to stick out his tongue in disgust. He was already making a face like a five year old. 

“Just like old times…” Gladiolus mused, turning a page in his novel with a shake of his head. “One of these days you’re gonna grow up, Noct.” 

“Tch, lay off.” Noctis discreetly passed the back of his hand over his tongue to get rid of the taste. Then he looked back at Ignis, a little more seriously. “Go give it to him, now, Iggy. He really needs it.”

“Indeed.” Ignis nodded curtly. (He actually felt that Noctis had done well drinking as much as he did, with almost no fight. Maybe the prince was growing up after all…) 

Then he turned on his heels to go pay Ardyn a visit.

_________________________________________________

Dreams were starting to become a thing for Ardyn. Slowly, just little images at first. Before they left Caem, Ardyn had even dreamt a few concrete scenes. Himself, sitting the garden of the palace where he grew up. His own little hands threading flowers together to make a gift for someone. Probably his mother or his sister? That was more of a random, long forgotten memory rather than an actual dream.

Strange. Ardyn remembered dreams well. With his old powers, he had been able to enter other people’s dreams if he wished, using an extra nudge of his own consciousness. People dreamt some weird nonsense, he could tell you. But Ardyn had not experienced any of his own dreams in these past thousand years. They were not something afforded to him and he could not say he honestly missed them. Now, these tiny shards of long-lost memories were being excavated by his own subconscious. Like digging up old fossils. The memories were certainly old enough.

As he lay on the cot below deck, Ardyn’s dreams were more scattered. He saw fragments of random memories, some as distant as his childhood and some as recent as a few weeks ago. When he awoke, he remembered that he was supposed to meet Ravus in Altissia and arrange for a way to take advantage of Luna’s summoning of the Hydraen. 

Well, that wasn’t going to happen now. Ardyn sighed and realized that he should start thinking where he would throw his allegiance moving forward. He had no love for the Empire, certainly. The Empire was a means to an end. And now that he was free of the daemons, Ardyn would need to decide what he wanted from the rest of his life. 

If things progressed naturally and the Scourge was healed, the crystal should return to Lucis. Iedolas had it now—not that he knew what to do with it without Ardyn’s help. Would Ardyn help Noctis regain the crystal and reclaim his throne? 

… _His_ throne?

Ardyn grunted as his stomach roiled with sickness. They had just hit a particularly choppy wave. Fuck. 

An image of the throne sitting high and polished in the middle of the Citadel came to Ardyn’s mind. The throne was, technically, up for grabs right now. No one was sitting on it. Iedolas didn’t want the throne, he wanted to become something like a god (or whatever). But Noctis did. And Ardyn…well, of course Ardyn wanted the throne. It was the thirst for what was, in truth, rightfully his that had gotten him through all these long years. If only the Archaeons had not turned their back on him, if only his people had not betrayed and abandoned him, Ardyn would have most definitely become a king. 

He had long ago decided to take what was his. Naturally, a lingering desire for the title of king still twisted inside of him. But, Ardyn had also wanted to see the line of Lucis destroyed. 

That would mean destroying Noctis. Which he…was on the fence about now. 

Well. No. Ardyn sighed, swallowing more bile as his body rebelled against him. In all truth, Ardyn did not want any harm to befall Noctis. He would admit that. 

That boy…his hands wandering all over Ardyn. Wet and warm. Silky and beautiful. That cock, which Ardyn would admit he wanted to see at least one more time…had he actually seen it last time? He was not certain. He had definitely _felt_ it. And he had seen it soft when Noctis walked around bare. But that was different. Ardyn wanted to see Noctis at full attention—he wanted to see the prince’s (well, king’s) virility for himself. 

“Mmm…” Ardyn groaned, a mixture of arousal and sickness settling heavily in his belly. 

He very badly wanted to hold Noctis in his arms again. Everything else—the crystal, the throne, the royal line—paled in comparison. How could he hold any kind of real desire to see Lucis destroyed when all he really wanted to do was get back on his knees for Noctis and his retainers? 

The chancellor rubbed his mouth, trying to fight down the sickness. It seemed any further decisions would have to wait. His body was in too much disarray at the moment. 

He tried to force himself into another fitful sleep. 

After some time had passed (it was impossible to tell how much, there were no windows below deck), Ardyn heard the hatch open above. Footsteps pattered gracefully down the stairs. 

“Nnnnnh…” He thought about rolling onto his side to see who it was, but the ache in his torso decided for him. Ardyn kept as still as possible.

His visitor came up to the side of his bed. Ardyn heard the sound of velcro—something he was not expecting—and slipping fabric. 

Ardyn cracked one eye open, making out a man’s looming, thin figure. Ah, Ignis. Taking off his gloves and setting them down on the small dresser next to the bed. 

Those bare hands. Ardyn could not help staring at them. This man’s fingers were almost freakishly long, no? But he remembered how skilled they were…

“Only me,” Ignis stated, somewhat cheerfully. He offered Ardyn a small smile, seeing that the older man was awake. Ardyn could only groan in response.

Without warning, Ignis pressed his hand to Ardyn’s forehead. He felt the chancellor’s temperature with his wrist, sliding it with a deftness that implied experience. Ardyn frowned, not expecting the cool skin on his temple.

Then Ignis bent forward, pressing his lips where his hand had just been. Ardyn grunted under the intimate touch. He pulled back on instinct, farther into the bed. Of course this did not deter Ignis in the slightest, who slid his lips then the side of his cheek against Ardyn’s forehead.

“Don’t think I forgot about you,” Ignis murmured against his skin. 

Inhaling sharply, Ardyn caught a whiff of Ignis’s scent. There was the spice of some cologne, like a heady mixture of pine and cinnamon. And then the unmistakable scent of fabric softener, clean and pressed clothes. How had Ignis found the time to do laundry when they were traveling? Ardyn suddenly had an image of Ignis utilizing the public laundromats at every rest stop, steadfastly ironing all his shirts and pants. It was ludicrous, but. It seemed to fit. 

Besides, with Ignis this close, Ardyn could sense the other man’s body heat. His own body responded in kind, suddenly longing for Ignis to lay down on top of him. Ardyn did not know why (maybe it was the confidence in Ignis’s voice), but he knew for certain that burying himself against this man would make him feel better. 

Before anything like that could happen though, Ignis pulled away. Standing up straight, he announced, “Your temperature feels normal. You must be experiencing only some particularly bad motion sickness, then. That’s a relief actually.”

“A relief for whom…?” Ardyn asked quietly, squinting up at Ignis through the headache that pestered him whenever he opened his eyes. 

Chuckling, Ignis held up a glass of some pale orange, viscous liquid. “Here, drink this. It’s a home remedy for motion sickness I came up with years ago for Noctis. He used to get rather sick on boats, plane, and trains when he was a child—actually, he still does, but he likes to pretend he doesn’t."

Ardyn wanted to question the validity of this, but he found that he truly believed Ignis had made something like that for Noctis. It seemed almost everything this man did was for Noctis. 

So, nodding, Ardyn reached out for the glass. The mixture smelled questionable and it stuck to the sides of the cup, but it didn’t taste all that horrible. More like mushrooms in a soup of milk. And was that…ginger? Hmm, actually Ardyn found it interesting. He downed a full half of it in one gulp, swallowed, and then downed the rest. Sighing and licking his lips, Ardyn handed the empty glass back to Ignis.

“Impressive,” the advisor commented. “Noctis made such a fuss over his.” 

Ardyn was—on some small level—a little bit…relieved…when he heard that Noctis had received the same treatment. Was that this feeling? Relief? It was close to that, but a little different. Either way, Ardyn liked hearing that he and Noctis were both struggling and both taking the same remedy. Besides, he could feel the mixture settling in his stomach, already making him feel slightly less sick. Like his stomach would not try to upend itself on the next wave. 

Smirking at Ignis, Ardyn said, “You’re always trying to make me drink something, aren’t you?”

Ignis smiled back, clearly remembering what Ardyn was referring to. “I promise, there is nothing…untoward in this one. Just something to settle your stomach.”

“…Thank you,” Ardyn replied, chuckling to himself. He was feeling quite a bit better now. Almost like he could sit up…

…Nope. As soon as he tried that, the pain in Ardyn’s head reverberated around his skull. Right behind his eyes. He flopped back down on the bed. Apparently he was going to have to stay immobile. 

“Hm?” Ignis appeared at Ardyn’s side again in a flash. “Are you still in pain?” 

“…A bit…” Ardyn managed to say, rubbing his temples uselessly 

“Let me have a look.” 

The bespectacled man took the liberty of sitting down on the edge of Ardyn’s bed. He stretched out his hands and calmly pushed Ardyn’s fingers out of the way (that was a familiar feeling by now). Ignis laid the tips of his fingers on Ardyn’s foreheads, right above the man’s eyebrows. He rested both of his thumbs on Ardyn’s cheekbones, framing either side of the older man’s nose. 

“Your head, right?” 

“…Mmm….” It was hard to talk with Ignis’s hands on his face.

Slowly, Ignis pressed his fingers into Ardyn’s skin. He rubbed small circles, taking as much care as possible. Ardyn quickly understood why—there were pressure points everywhere Ignis touched and the muscles underneath were actually rather sensitive. Just a small push made Ardyn flinch at first. 

“Relax,” Ignis assured him. “This will help you, trust me.” 

Not that Ardyn would have considered turning down any help with this kind of pain, but hearing Ignis reassure him was…something else. There was an edge in this man’s voice that made Ardyn feel…treasured. Like Ignis was putting his all into this (expertly, of course) because he truly wanted to make Ardyn feel better. 

The chancellor squirmed under the intensity of that feeling. The pressure of Ignis’s hands still kind of hurt, but it was working. His headache had started to ebb away, especially once Ignis massaged his sinuses with his thumbs. 

Ardyn let out a quivering breath. Was this what it felt like to be Noctis? To have all of Ignis’s devotion and attention focused on you? This man’s scent, his body, his fingers…all of it?

It was an exquisite kind of pleasure. 

How bizarre…to feel something like this from nothing more than a chamberlain. For a moment, Ardyn thought back to his own chamberlain, the man who had tended to him when he was growing up in the Citadel. His chamberlain was nothing like Ignis. His had been an old, crotchety man that Ardyn found himself constantly at odds with. They had a sort of never-ending cold war throughout Ardyn’s youth. Probably because his chamberlain (Eos on high, he could not remember the man’s name anymore) had been rather strict, whereas Ardyn’s parents had been rather indulgent (perhaps excessively so). As a result, whenever his chamberlain refused one of Ardyn’s fancies or brought him to task over some minor transgression, Ardyn found a way to retaliate. Some childish prank to make the man’s life just a little more miserable. 

Of course, his chamberlain could never really punish Ardyn. Could not even legally whip him on the knuckles. And so, whenever the chamberlain found himself the victim of missing documents, papers that had been intentionally scribbled over, or once, doused in cold water from a misplaced laundry basket, there was little he could do. Although, Ardyn’s young self had been rather unnerved when the chamberlain suddenly removed every trace of Ardyn’s favorite sweet—candied Ulwaat berries—from the palace. Even a little impressed, actually. 

At the time, Ardyn’s father dismissed all the antics as the squabbles of youth. Still, Ardyn rejoiced when he turned eighteen and no longer needed to continue lessons with the elderly man, could attend meetings on his own without the assistance of his chamberlain. It had been a rewarding experience, to feel like he had matured out of something, and to be able to finally say goodbye to that boring curmudgeon. 

Which was why, when Ardyn heard that Noctis was traveling with his chamberlain he literally laughed out loud. The idea that Noctis would need something like a fawning babysitter following him around, someone he had had since his childhood! A doddering old fool on a doomed mission. It was hilarious. But then, when he saw Ignis for the first time he realized this chamberlain was actually young—hardly older than Noctis himself. Skilled in combat, tactics, politics, cooking, driving…a variety of things…

Well, Ardyn had dismissed it all as some modern dalliance. A chamberlain such as that.

Now that he had gotten to know Ignis, though, he could definitely see why Noctis travelled with him. Ignis was incredibly useful, in all areas. His cooking was top notch, as was his ability to wield a weapon. His demeanor and calm way of thinking evened out the rest of the group. They all trusted his opinions more than anything. So Ignis was more like an advisor than a chamberlain. 

Beyond that, Ignis was their friend. Or…lover. Part of their…arrangement. It was mind-boggling that a chamberlain would allow himself to sleep with his own charge, but…Ardyn was starting to think he understood their relationship. 

Ignis was like a parent to Noctis, a fill-in for the absence where Noctis’s real parents should have been. More than that, he was the buffer between Noctis and the harshness of the world. Ignis clearly loved Noctis more than anything—it was obvious in his movements and in each one of his actions. He could not deny Noctis anything. If Noctis wanted him, then of course Ignis would acquiesce. He was probably more than a little in love with the boy, anyway.

Besides, as a young man, Ignis was incredibly attractive. Who wouldn’t want him around, caring for them in his own special way? 

Ardyn was finding out now exactly how nice it was to have Ignis’s attention.

“Is it any better?” the advisor asked in a hushed voice, very near Ardyn’s face. The older man could feel the Ignis’s breath against his cheek.

Desire coursed through Ardyn. This man, with his lithe body, sharp wit, and gentle, caressing fingers…unlike anyone Ardyn had met before. He wanted him. He wanted to pull Ignis down and devour him…

“Much better, thank you,” Ardyn said, opening his eyes and meeting Ignis’s soft gaze. 

There was clear lust in his gold-flecked eyes. Ignis gasped when he saw it. His cool hands stilled. Then, the bespectacled man broke out into a grin of his own. 

He bent down and laid a tender kiss on Ardyn’s lips. “Is there anything else I can do for you?” 

Clearly, Ignis knew where this was headed. And he seemed perfectly willing. It made the older man think that perhaps Ignis had been having his own thoughts of desire about Ardyn…oh.

Growling at the spike of arousal that shot through him, Ardyn wrapped his arms around Ignis’s neck and pulled him in for another kiss. This time, Ardyn used everything he remembered about Ignis—how he could turn his head to the side and force Ignis’s face up and down against his own with each movement of his lips. Ardyn stretched out his tongue to lap around inside Ignis’s mouth, delighted beyond reason when he heard a small moan escape the younger man’s throat. 

Soft hands ran down the side of Ardyn’s face, brushing some of his hair out of his eyes. A loving gesture. The older man felt like he was being cherished—an idea that brought his cock to full hardness in seconds. 

Grunting incoherently, Ardyn sat up, pulling Ignis into his lap. He kissed every inch of Ignis’s face then trailed his lips down to Ignis’s neck. Before he could stop himself, he was biting and sucking on the flesh there, branding little red marks into Ignis. Ardyn moaned when he saw those marks. He wanted everyone else to see them and know that he had been with Ignis, to know that this sharp, beautiful man had let Ardyn touch him like this…

Without thinking, Ardyn pushed Ignis down onto his back. His hands were shaking with want ( _fuck_ , he was hard. Hadn’t it only been a day since the last time he’d had sex? Why did it feel as if it had been weeks? Was his body craving it that much…?). Unsteadily, he undid the buttons on Ignis’s shirt and pulled away all the clothes he could reach.

Ignis was being passive with him. The younger man held his arms up and let Ardyn do as he pleased. In truth, the sight of Ardyn completely consumed by his own lust was…overwhelming. Ignis could see now why Prompto had been taken in by it. He wanted Ardyn to act out whatever fantasy was knocking around inside his mind. 

Ignis did not know if Ardyn was coherent enough to actually accomplish much, but he was ready to assist if needed. 

Divesting the younger man of his pants, Ardyn worked on his own clothes next. He tugged the sleeveless top over his head and struggled with the buttons on his dress pants. Why was there more than one button here and why was it so hard to undo…?

Laughing quietly, Ignis covered Ardyn’s hands with his own. “Allow me.” 

He pushed aside Ardyn’s fumbling fingers and undid the zipper himself. With Ardyn’s cooperation, he pulled down Ardyn’s pants and boxers in one go, freeing the older man’s straining erection. Ardyn moaned when he was free—barely recognizing the sight of himself he was so full. Thick, but also unusually purplish…like his body did not know what else to do with its excitement other than push more blood into his dick. 

Painful. Ardyn could feel his thighs trembling he wanted it so badly. Normally that kind of thing did not happen until he was close to orgasm…

“There we are,” Ignis murmured. He appreciated the sight of Ardyn, but he also felt a little sympathetic. That erection looked rather intense. 

Not needing to be told, Ignis wrapped his hand around Ardyn’s cock. He gave the man one long stroke—knowing better than to tease at this point. Ardyn immediately dropped to his knees, hovering over Ignis on all fours. 

“Easy now…” Ignis kissed Ardyn’s temple, stroking him more forcefully. “Let’s make this a little more pleasant for you, shall we?” 

“Nnnh…” was all Ardyn could respond. 

His jaw had locked, all of his attention focused solely on Ignis’s hand moving (slowly, far too slowly, but surely, at just the right angle) up and down his shaft. Some pre-cum had already started to leak, slicking the way. Ardyn rocked his hips forward, eyes closing, as he fucked Ignis’s fist. 

Oh, no, shit…In some corner of Ardyn’s mind he knew he was about to come. Like this. He should be able to hold back a little more (even just slightly longer than last time, he told himself), but….he needed it _so badly_. That smooth hand squeezing him at the tip, milking the thick vein on the underside of his cock. _That_ …

“Why don’t you come like this, for now?” Ignis suggested, whispering in Ardyn’s ear. “Then we can really get started. Once your head is a bit clearer.” 

Ardyn liked the sound of that. How…reasonable.

Those words gave his body the tiniest push it needed to send Ardyn plummeting over the edge. He came hard into Ignis’s hand—not even feeling the massive relief he usually did during an orgasm. He just felt wetness and a hefty sigh, some harsh pain leaving him at last. 

“Well, then. That’s better, I assume?” 

Ardyn had fallen forward during his climax, pressing his face against Ignis’s cheek. He could still feel Ignis’s hand around his cock—which was still hard, though thankfully less so. His breathing had evened out and he was chest-to-chest with Ignis. They were breathing at the same rate.

A dense cloud of lust settled over Ardyn again. He was still turned on, still wanted to fuck, but the arousal was not quite as…sharp as it had been. Ardyn could think a little better now. 

He ambled up onto his knees, looking down (with some pride) at the mess he had made of Ignis’s stomach and hands. This man was _still_ gripping him, still holding onto Ardyn’s cock, ready to get him off again.

By the gods, Ardyn knew Ignis could do it. He could make Ardyn come again just like that. If he really wanted to.

Shaking his head with a smile, Ardyn grabbed Ignis’s hands and intertwined their fingers. He pulled those hands over to his mouth and laid small, reverent kisses to the younger man’s knuckles. 

“I am no match for these hands…” Ardyn admitted softly. He rubbed his face against Ignis’s fingers, ignoring how filthy they were with Ardyn’s own essence. The older man did not care about that. He wanted to worship those magical hands…a healer’s hands, surely, and he should know…

Ardyn sucked one of Ignis’s fingers into his mouth. He wrapped his tongue around that finger, imagining it to be a small cock. 

“Oh…” Ignis moaned softly. 

That small moan set Ardyn’s blood to boiling. He saw the hazy look of pleasure in Ignis’s eyes and knew that he needed to do more. 

Releasing the man’s finger with a quiet pop, Ardyn laid down on his stomach, eying Ignis’s crotch. He could tell this man was hard and for some reason that made the older man even more excited. To know that Ignis was hard for him…he liked that. A lot.

He nuzzled Ignis’s covered cock with his cheek, passing it under his nose to inhale the deep, spicy scent. It made his mouth water. Fuck, Ardyn knew he was about to suck this guy. He could barely wait another second.

So, not bothering with any preamble, Ardyn pulled Ignis’s boxers down, exposing the advisor’s full length.

“…Ah. I see…” Ardyn mused, eyes widening. 

Ignis was much longer than Ardyn had anticipated. By a fair number of inches. It was a little surprising, really. Not that he had expected Ignis to be small—weren’t most men about the same, anyway?—but this was…definitely longer than average. Maybe it had to do with the way Ignis’s thin body framed that cock, but…

“I’m impressed, my love,” Ardyn said, glancing up at Ignis. He was.

Ignis cleared his throat, a faint blush covering his cheeks. In all honesty, he was slightly self-conscious about his size. There had been (a few) lovers in his past who had been unwilling to sleep with him once they found out what he was packing. Because practically, they were worried about…receiving him. Ignis did not take much self-satisfaction from his length—if anything it was more of an inconvenience. 

Luckily for him, the rest of the group was more than accepting of Ignis’s size. Prompto was ‘a total size queen’ when it came to giving blowjobs (his words), and he made sure Ignis was utterly satisfied every time. Gladiolus was not intimidated by much and Noctis was usually more interested in being on top. So it all worked out with them.

But seeing the look of wonder on Ardyn’s face…well, it was a little embarrassing. 

Ignis made to sit up. He covered his embarrassment with a smile and said, “So, how shall we—”

Ardyn pushed Ignis back down on the bed. He licked his lips, staring lasciviously at Ignis’s cock. “Wait, stop. Let me enjoy it a little, won’t you?” 

“…Oh, erm..” 

But Ardyn’s mind was made up. He licked a long, reverent stripe over that whole length, base to tip. Getting to the end of that made him a little giddy, honestly. He did not know if he could take this whole thing in his mouth, but he wanted to try.

So, Ardyn wrapped his mouth around Ignis’s tip and started sucking. He watched the man underneath quiver—more than enough reassurance that he was doing something right. Slowly, centimeter by centimeter, Ardyn swallowed Ignis as far as he could—a little more than two thirds of the way. 

“…Be careful…” Ignis choked out.

Such an incredibly heady feeling. To have his mouth and even most of his throat full. Ardyn could not remember the last time he had taken a man like this, but it had certainly been too long. His nose was buried in the silky pubic hair around Ignis’s groin, offering Ardyn a full dose of this man’s scent. 

Experimentally, Ardyn swished his tongue along the member in his mouth. Inaccurately, just getting a taste.

“Ah!” Ignis’s hips jerked forward with that motion. It seemed he particularly enjoyed that tongue on him…

…But Ardyn had to pull away. That cock was great, but he did not think he could handle a full-on throat-fucking. That was…probably outside his depths. So, panting, he looked down at Ignis, who was writing slightly on the bed.

“A-apologies…” Ignis croaked, adjusting his glasses again. 

Ardyn shook his head with sincerity. “Not at all. In fact…” 

He eyed that length one more time. Truth be told, there was a special place inside Ardyn that had been twitching ever since he laid eyes on that cock. He remembered what it felt like to be pounded right there and he wanted it again. …Had never really stopped wanting it, ever since his first night with these four. 

Staring at that Jormungand in front of him…well, Ardyn wanted to go for a ride.

Grinning like he had lost his mind, Ardyn straddled Ignis’s waist. He settled in, laughing when he saw the wide-eyed look his partner was giving him. Then, he rubbed his ass against the firm penis behind him, intimating what he wanted to do.

“Are you…quite certain…?” Ignis asked, looking a little flustered but—distantly—hopeful. 

Ardyn laughed again. “So certain, my dear. Just lie still for me, alright?” 

“Wait, wait.” Ignis reached down to his discarded pants. He pulled a small tube of what looked like hand cream out of his pocket. When he opened it and spread some on his hands, however, the substance inside was clearly lube.

“Ah. A clever hiding place,” Ardyn commented. Lube disguised as hand cream, carried around like an every day object. Hell, it was fucking genius. 

Smiling, Ignis reached behind Ardyn and slid his slicked up fingers over Ardyn’s entrance. The older man shivered—both at the sensation (the lube was still a little cold) and at the promise of what was to come. Slowly, carefully, with as much grace as possible, Ignis fingered Ardyn’s asshole. He pressed in and stretched—that was the first thing Ardyn really felt, the stretching. He moaned into the touch while Ignis scissored two fingers inside of him. Those fingers were long, it was true…

“We need to make sure you are adequately prepared…” Ignis drawled, pushing his fingers deep into Ardyn.

It was true. A good point. In Ardyn’s lust, he had forgotten about this step. And now that he was newly mortal, he could actually get hurt. …Right. Well, Ignis had known what to do. So.

And really…Ignis’s fingers would again be his undoing. They pressed on him in all the right places, feeling out the map of his insides and touching every sensitive spot. When they found his sweet spot, Ardyn trembled and let out a harsh moan.

Ignis moaned alongside him, his long cock twitching against Ardyn’s back. “I want you to enjoy this, love…” the advisor said. “…Make sure to tell me right away if you want to stop. And please, take only what you can…”

Ardyn shook his head, reaching behind him to pull out Ignis’s hand. He bent down low over Ignis’s face and lined himself up with that cock. 

“And…if I want everything?” he asked, nipping the bottom of Ignis’s ear. 

The advisor moaned in response.

Ready to burst from excitement, Ardyn pushed himself down on Ignis’s cock. The head was easy (luckily the younger man was not quite so thick, and this was the thickest part of him). But it was not nearly enough for Ardyn. He pushed down farther and farther, until Ignis was about halfway inside of him.

Now. Ardyn was starting to really feel full. He tossed his head back in pleasure as a wave of calmness spread over him. This is what he had been craving. 

“…Slowly…easy…” Ignis chanted, squeezing his eyes closed in exertion. Ardyn was much tighter than he was used to. Feeling the older man slowly engulf his own cock….well, it was making Ignis’s mind run at a fraction of its normal speed. 

Ardyn kept pushing. He was throbbing with greed, thirsty for more, eager to see how much he could take. Every inch he took made Ardyn’s extremities feel numb, from his fingertips and toes on up. Ignis was piercing him to his very core. 

Jaw dropping, Ardyn pressed on. He could feel the younger man sliding against his prostate and it made him lose track of himself. 

Ignis grabbed Ardyn’s face with both hands. He forced the older man to look at him. “…Alright…?” he asked.

Ardyn nodded wordlessly. His body was getting overwhelmed, certainly. But he had no desire to stop. He wanted more, he needed something. Just a little more…

The older man began to sweat. His thighs were shaking. Shit, was he about to come already, just from taking Ignis? That was…well, it was likely, considering everything. So many sensations inside of him.

Ignis wrapped a hand around Ardyn’s cock, yet again. 

Ardyn’s eyes flew open. With a gasp, he pushed down in a rush of lust. That was it—he was fully seated on top of Ignis. He had taken the younger man’s dick down to the root. It took several moments for him to adjust to the sensation. Exactly how far inside of him was Ignis pressing? It made Ardyn shiver with pleasure to consider. The feeling of being alone in his own skin (a feeling he was only recently getting accustomed to) was slightly more bearable now, when he was connected to another person as deep as he could go. 

He felt Ignis gripping his shoulder. When he opened his eyes it occurred to him that he just been sitting there impaled on Ignis’s dick, unable to move. 

“Shall I take over?” Ignis asked, smiling confidently. 

Ardyn nodded fiercely. Yes! He wanted Ignis’s firebrand strength to work him…

Latching onto the older man’s shoulder and waist, Ignis flipped their positions. Somehow he accomplished it in one move—clearly accustomed to grappling. It made Ardyn’s head spin to suddenly find himself on his back underneath the younger man. But it was also…very arousing. Ignis was piercing him deeper now, from this angle. He could see the muscles in the advisor’s toned shoulder shift as he got ready to move.

Ignis kissed Ardyn’s face lovingly. “Comfortable?” he asked.

“…Quite…” Ardyn spread his legs wider, wrapping his ankles around Ignis’s waist. There—now the younger man was slotted against every inch of his sweet spot and the further reaches that had yet to be explored by any man.

He moaned, already moments from orgasm. “…Fuck me…” he whispered, eyes rolling around in his head as he struggled to keep a hold of himself. 

“Of course.” 

So, Ignis did. He thrust in and out of Ardyn at a surprisingly steady pace. His hips snapped forward at breathtaking angle with each thrust, driving Ardyn closer and closer…

One hand around Ardyn’s cock, Ignis thumbed the tip of his dick, making the older man see stars.

“You’re amazing…” the advisor breathed. “You’re taking all of me…” 

“Mmm!” Ardyn arched his back, feeling his orgasm building in his balls and in his stomach. Fuck, this kind of pleasure was so intense!

Ignis leaned in close, rumbling in Ardyn’s ear. “Is this what you wanted, Highness?”

With a throaty scream, Ardyn came. And came. He climaxed hard, for what seemed like a very long time. Ignis rode him through it, pulling out when he reached his own orgasm. They were both covered in cum—it was a wild rush of sensation that they both felt in equal measure. 

It took a few minutes for Ardyn to come back into himself. He was slowly aware of little touches—Ignis’s body leaving his, a towel running over his body (damp and rough), hands on his face and in his hair. 

Then, a kiss on his forehead. Ardyn opened his eyes when he felt that. He looked back at Ignis and they kissed each other gently for a bit. The word Ignis had called him rattled around in Ardyn's mind on repeat.  _Highness..._ He had not been called that since...and the power in that word. That word had done something to him, used in that way. Ardyn shivered in his lover's arms.

Finally, Ignis pulled back. “How are you feeling…?”

Ardyn sighed, stretching out his limbs to get the numbness out. “…I’d say, good. Relieved, perhaps. …Satiated.” He grinned at Ignis when he said that last part.

Blushing lightly, Ignis nodded. “Very well. I…” he trailed off for a moment. Then he said, “Well, thank you for that, Ardyn.”

The chancellor frowned. Shouldn’t he be the one thanking Ignis? Hadn’t Ignis just come down here and given him everything he desired? Confused, he opened his mouth to say something.

But Ignis was looking away. Moving forward, the younger man said, “Would you like to rest a bit more? I can bring down some dinner later.” 

Ardyn sat up. He pushed away the thought that had been threatening to make itself known. He was not sure if he was ready for that thought yet. There was already…a lot to think about.

Clearing his throat, Ardyn took stock of himself. Actually, he was not all that tired. Something about sex with Ignis (or maybe it was the drink beforehand) made him feel rejuvenated. He told the other man as much and Ignis nodded in understanding. Taking Ardyn’s hand, Ignis showed him the bathroom and gave him some fresh clothes. A white, short sleeve button-down shirt that had belonged to Dustin and some jeans. Everything mostly fit. Including the boat shoes. Ardyn tried to commit Dustin’s name to memory. He probably owed this man at least a thanks for all the clothes he had given him…

Ignis also gave Ardyn his long coat, fedora, and scarf. He said that Ardyn could do whatever he wanted with them. Although it felt weird holding the garments again, there was also a sense of…normalcy in those clothes. 

Ardyn decided to keep them. He laid them on his bed and went upstairs with Ignis.

As soon as they rejoined the group, the others commented right away that Ardyn looked good. Healthy, they said. Refreshed. (They also teased Ignis about his hickeys, but the advisor just cleared his throat and announced that he would get started on dinner.)

The former immortal supposed those words were a fair description of himself.

___________________________________________

After dinner, they all sat on the top deck staring out into the sea. Ardyn was getting used to the feeling of a full belly. The night had turned a little chilly, so he had gone down to get his coat. He wore his infamous duster now as he sat in a lounge chair on the side of the ship. It seemed he was also getting used to regulating his own body temperature, as well.

Good.

He listened to the voices of the others as they quietly talked about what they would do in Altissia. It sounded like they did not exactly know what they would find when they got there. Ardyn had already told them everything he knew about the Empire’s probable position during dinner. Surprisingly, they didn’t ask him too many questions about what he wanted to do.

It seemed they all knew not to go there just yet.

Ardyn rolled a cigarette in his fingers that he had nicked out of Cid’s jacket pocket. (The older man had said he was trying to quit and that they should all help themselves…so, Ardyn helped himself.) He put the thing in his mouth and lit it with an idle fire spell (he was still quite well-stocked on magic spells, as it happened). 

He groaned as he exhaled some smoke into the clear night. Smoking was not a novelty—he had smoked on many occasions in the past. But now it was actually bad for him! How tempting.

The nicotine helped clear his mind a little more. Overall, Ardyn reasoned, he was feeling good right now. Clean, calm, and unburdened by daemons. These were objectively good things—sensually wonderful. The future…well. 

But mortals lived for the present didn’t they? Could Ardyn do that himself?

“Hey.” 

Ardyn turned to see Prompto pulling up a chair alongside him. “Hey,” he said, trying out the word on his tongue. (Weird. …No more of that, then.)

“So…how’re you doing?” the blonde asked. He looked fidgety, kind of nervous for some reason. 

Ardyn took another drag. (Prompto should really try these. They did wonders for your nerves…) “I’m feeling much better now. Thanks to you, in part, my good man.” 

Prompto grinned, perking up at those words. “Glad to hear it!”

The chancellor could not help how his face softened when he looked at Prompto. It was…hard not to be fond of the kid. After everything they had done together. Ardyn knew exactly what kind of person Prompto was now. There was a lot of comfort in that. 

“So, um…” Prompto began, looking around as if desperate for something to focus on. Finally, he sighed and just looked sideways at Ardyn. “How much do you know about MTs?”

Ardyn exhaled some more smoke, nodding in understanding. He met Prompto’s gaze. “Quite a bit. I’m the one who first brought Magitech research to the Empire. Seems I’m probably the right person to ask.” He smirked dryly. “What would you like to know?” 

“Um…everything, I guess. I don't really know a lot, so…anything would be nice.” Prompto blinked in disbelief. “Wow. You’re the guy, huh?” 

Ardyn nodded, fiddling with his cigarette. “More or less. Now, where to begin…” 

And so, the two of them spent the night like that, talking quietly together. Ardyn spoke at length about the history of Magitech research, which he had lived himself, as well as the science behind his whole endeavor. Prompto listened very attentively, only stopping to ask for clarification or to ask Ardyn to slow down.

The other three in the group watched their exchange.

“Huh. They look natural over there,” Gladiolus commented. 

“Indeed,” Ignis added. He rubbed the hickeys on his neck absent-mindedly.

There was a twinkle in Noctis’s eyes as he fell asleep that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One my favorite Ignis lines in the game is "Don't think I forgot about you." <3 His lines are so versatile in fics, too, it's fun.
> 
> I also think I might be addicted to writing bottom!Ardyn. #sorrynotsorry


	5. Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A meeting between enemies and allies!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mwahaha, this story has plot now. Safe to say. 
> 
> Also, just as a heads up, this chapter has no smut. I repeat, smut free. (I did it, you guys!) So if you want the smexy times, wait for the next update. (It's coming, I promise...literally...)

**Chapter Five: Sun**

They arrived in Altissia by the time the sun rose. Dawn breaking out over the bustling city was quite the sight. People were already hard at work, hawking wares and opening restaurants. Their eager voices (“Fresh oysters, sir! Care for a taste?” “Leather goods! Belts, sandals, handbags!” “Limited offer for the monster arena! Get lucky!”) breathed life into the city. As did the smell: Ocean. Altissia smelled like the beach, minus the sand. The scent of saltwater and sun was inescapable. 

“Oh, I gotta get some shots of this!” Prompto already had his camera out, snapping away.

“What’s our plan for getting in, Noct?” Ignis inquired as the five of them plus Cid disembarked. (Cid saluted them in all in farewell immediately, declaring that he needed to meet with an old friend.) There was already a line near the customs agents at the city gates.

“Uh…” Noctis blinked a few times, fighting back his awe at being surrounded by Altissia. “I thought you would have an idea…?”

Ignis sighed. He readjusted his glasses and tried to think of an excuse that wasn’t completely unreasonable. Translator? No, they could ask to verify that. Culinary student…? No wait, that was ridiculous…

“Not to worry.” Ardyn stepped ahead of the group, fishing in his coat pocket for a small, leather-bound leaflet. The Niflheim seal (unmistakable to the royal Lucian eye) was engraved on the front. 

“Your passport…?” Gladiolus grumbled quietly, coming up alongside Ardyn.

The chancellor turned to the Shield with a wicked smile on his face. He took off his duster and passed it to Gladiolus. “Hold this for me, will you?” 

Looking put out, Gladiolus took Ardyn’s coat and slung it on one arm. 

Ardyn shrugged when he saw that look. “Don’t want to get…overheated, now.” 

It was true. The sun beating down on Ardyn’s face and shoulders was beginning to get oppressive. At least the shirt Dustin had given him was white, which meant it repelled the sun a bit. But these swashes of sunlight seeping into his skin…Ardyn needed to swallow to fight down the warmth inside of himself.

The sun was so warm. It made Ardyn feel alive. 

They lined up at the border. Noctis was first and Ardyn slid in behind him. 

The chancellor could not help but notice how radiant the prince looked in the sunlight. Even though he was wearing all black. His raven hair seemed to glow in the natural light, looking almost silver. And his ivory skin shone until Noctis turned into a decadent temptation. 

Ardyn wanted to wrap his arms around the young man and bury his nose in his hair. He would inhale deeply and smell nothing but fresh air and life…

Unharmed by the light. The Chosen King, indeed.

That thought brought Ardyn back to his senses. They were here, in Altissia, where they would all need to affirm their allegiances. Ardyn could not suddenly abandon all his principles and go crawling into the lap of Crystal-blessed royalty. 

…Even if crawling into Noctis’s lap was precisely what he wanted to do.

But no. He needed to appear to be working for his own self-interest. The chancellor had decided this last night. Despite the fact that he did not know his own goals at the moment, it was too much to suddenly align himself totally with the Lucians. 

Ardyn still hated the Crystal. He hated the Archaeons. He hated the twisted, perverse destinies these relics forced on people. Although it was probably impossible to destroy the Crystal now, (especially since he was not open to the idea of destroying Noctis), Ardyn would never go back to worshipping its will. He would never kneel at the alter of the Archaeons and beg for forgiveness. That just wasn’t going to happen.

Besides, he did not need to. He already had life and freedom. A reasonable amount of power. …And the company of these four gentlemen. 

He would…act as though staying in their party served his own advancement. He would pass off the idea that he was displeased with the Empire and that his allegiance had strayed. That helping Noctis and his friends would further his own goals. 

It would be enough to fool whatever incompetents were going to be at this meeting in Altissia. As for the four men in question, well…Ardyn knew that he did not need to fool them. They either already knew what was in his heart—a harrowing notion—or, they would know soon enough.

It was almost inevitable now. 

Ardyn settled his nerves by inhaling a quick, heady whiff of Noctis’s scent and brandishing his passport for the prince to see. 

“Ask and ye shall receive…” the chancellor muttered so that only Noctis could hear.

The raven-haired man turned around with a frown. Then he saw the playful look on Ardyn’s face and could not help smiling back in return.

“…Can you get us in?” Noctis asked with a smirk and an indifferent half-shrug. 

Ardyn fought back the urge to kiss him. “But of course,” he replied instead. He pushed ahead of Noctis to speak with the customs agents. 

“Gentlemen!” Ardyn sauntered over to the agents with his passport in hand. “Good morning! A fine day in this fair, ever-neutral city of import, no?” 

The agents glanced at each other. One of them took the passport from Ardyn’s hands, eyes widening when he saw the credentials written inside.

“H-high Chancellor, sir…!” the man called, bowing from the waist in a formal greeting. “Wh-what brings the Niflheim elite to Altissia…?” 

Ardyn chuckled lightly, throwing his hands out to the side. “Merely seeing the sights! Oh, and I believe this young man here in my company—” He patted Noctis on the shoulder. “—has a meeting with Secretary Camelia.” 

“A meeting with…the Secretary?” The agents looked at each other warily, nodding once. They stamped Ardyn’s passport and ushered the five of them through the gates at once. “Welcome to Altissia, sirs. Please, head to the political housing quarters on the Northside of the city. We believe the Secretary is awaiting your arrival.”

Ardyn bid them thanks and the other four nodded politely. Just like that, they got through the border. 

“Heh, so much for not drawing attention to ourselves…” Prompto said nervously, glancing around at the many faces peering curiously in their direction.

“ _His_ company?” Gladiolus growled back. It rankled him to be treated like one of Ardyn’s lackeys, when in fact they were all here because of Noctis. 

Ignis shook his head and patted Gladiolus on the back. Taking Ardyn’s coat and storing it in the Armiger with the rest of their spare outfits, he said, “Expedience is precious. No need to worry about anything else right now.” (Hell, posing as Ardyn’s chauffeurs was better than anything Ignis could come up with…) 

“So…which way to the housing quarters?” Noctis asked, rubbing his head confusedly and staring in all directions. 

Being surrounded by Altissia was overwhelming. There were so many sensations—Ardyn placed a hand to his head as he tried to withstand them all. Sun, heat, loud noises, people talking, food, jostling bodies, ocean, cobblestones under his feet…everything combined to make him a little dizzy. He thought he knew the way to the housing quarters (hadn’t he been there before? More than once, in fact?), but he was disoriented at the moment. He had always been to this city when it was overcast or at night…the liveliness of the sun and the daytime kept crowding his thoughts.

“Oh, look, there’s a map!” Prompto hurried to a city map on a large billboard. Clearly meant for tourists. 

The four of them inspected the city map cautiously, trying to figure out the city’s public transportation system—which looked to be a series of gondola routes. They bantered back and forth about which route would take them closest to the Secretary’s quarters.

Meanwhile, Ardyn was glancing around the city square, shielding his eyes from the sun with one hand. Each loud sound or particularly delicious smell kept grabbing his attention, pulling his gaze in one direction and then the next. Was that…fried dough? Drizzled with honey and powdered sugar? Remarkable… A storefront was blaring pop music from its open windows, drawing in customers. Ardyn was intrigued by the singer’s high, melodic voice. He wondered what the store could be selling with such an enticing soundtrack…

Something sparkled in the edge of his vision. He whipped around to face it and found that he knew the sight—the twinkling of the sun against the surface of the ocean. Tiny pinpricks of light glanced off the water until they met his eyes in the most distracting way.

But it caused him no pain. That was new. 

Dazzled by the light—how…incredible—Ardyn walked to the edge of the nearest dock. The city was covered in docks, for gondola routes, fishing spots, and waterside shops. This particular dock stood outside of the well-travelled paths. It was probably meant for fishing, but there were no fisherman parked there for the day yet. Not many people milled around the vicinity.

Ardyn walked right to the edge of the dock. He stared hard at the water. He could distinctly see himself reflected in the surface—oh. It just occurred to him that he had not looked in the mirror these past few days (it was not a habit he had anyway, with his mostly unchanging appearance for the past millennia). But he looked…different. He was wearing white, a short-sleeved shirt besides. It made him seem…brighter. His hair stood out at all ends as it had when he was young—but actually, that just happened when it was clean. Even his hair seemed livelier—more crimson than dull red. 

Whoa. Had he…changed this much? 

It made Ardyn feel strange. He recognized himself, but he looked…different. Like his old self. His very, very old self…from…how long ago, now? 

The water lapped gently against the side of the dock. Some of it splashed onto Ardyn’s foot. It was cool, but not cold. Still, the sensation sent a shiver up his spine. This water was refreshing, warmed (like everything) by the omnipresent sun. And—just like the water from his shower with Noctis—not harmful. 

Could he…feel more?

Ardyn wondered what it felt like to be engulfed by such cool, kind water. He knew Leviathan slept somewhere in these depths, but he could not care less about Her just then. Let Her sleep. Ardyn wanted to know what it felt like to swim in the ocean…

He used to. He used to swim. He loved playing in the waves with his friends until it got dark. He was actually a skilled swimmer, who took naturally to the ocean…

Until…

Ardyn’s eyes widened as he remembered swimming. That was a long ago thing, but he remembered it so vividly now. Your head underwater, all sound drowned out by the sea and the sand swishing underfoot. Coming up for a breath, greeted by the sun on your face. The salt clinging to your skin for the rest of the day…

Entranced, Ardyn began unbuttoning his shirt. He could swim again now…

Finally settling on which route to take, Noctis and his group agreed to head for the nearest gondola. Looking away from the map, they realized for the first time that Ardyn was not with them.

“Uh…big guy…?” Prompto glanced through the crowd nervously.

“Where did that guy wander off to?” Gladiolus grumbled, joining Prompto in his search.

Noctis gasped as a sudden thought struck him. Was this Ardyn’s plan…? Had he meant to ditch them when they reached Altissia…? Why hadn’t Noctis considered this before? It made sense. Ardyn had never been the type to stay with a group…he hadn’t even been part of human society for a while there…

The prince’s heart sank. His eyes widened nervously, breath getting caught in his chest.

Ignis put a comforting hand on his charge’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Majesty. We’ll find him. I’m sure something in this vast city just caught his eye. We probably should have kept a closer watch on him…and we will. Once we find him.” 

Seeing the look of complete assurance in Ignis’s eyes settled Noctis quite a bit. He was surprised that Ignis could be so calm—how could Ignis be so sure…? But then, the bespectacled man had shared some _private time_ with Ardyn…did that change anything?

Still, Noctis trusted his advisor. He patted Ignis’s hand in return. “We’ll find him,” he tried, in his kingly voice. (It was…almost there, maybe.) 

Through a parting in the crowd, Prompto caught sight of a red-haired figure standing at the edge of the dock. Clearly Ardyn. And…he already had one arm out of his shirt.

Yikes—Prompto ran immediately to Ardyn’s side.

“Whoa whoa whoa!” The MT caught both of the chancellor’s arms, forcing the shirt back over the older man’s exposed shoulder. “Take it easy, okay?” 

Ardyn’s eyes were glazed over, filled with the sight of the ocean and nothing else. When he felt Prompto’s hands on his bare skin, he jolted back into himself. 

Oh, right. This was Altissia. They were…in the middle of the city. 

Prompto’s worried blue eyes. 

…Ah. Ardyn realized he had just been about to disrobe and jump into the Altissian waterways. So…that. Yes. …Narrowly avoided that one.

The chancellor cleared his throat and re-buttoned his shirt. He moved rather slowly, still a little out of it, and Prompto helped him get re-dress quickly. The blonde smoothed Ardyn’s chest and looked at him hard, trying to figure out what the older man had been thinking.

“Were you…?” Prompto began. He saw the slight look of embarrassment on Ardyn’s face as well as the lingering confusion. He glanced back to the water.

It did look…enticing. “Oh. You wanted to go swimming, huh?”

Ardyn pressed his lips together and nodded once in affirmation. He would admit this to Prompto, after all. He and Prompto shared a rather…close bond at this point, after sleeping together and then talking through most of the previous night. Besides, it wasn’t like he could hide the truth for long.

Prompto’s heart throbbed as he realized this was probably Ardyn’s first time near the ocean in a very long while. Prompto himself loved the beach so he could see where Ardyn was coming from.

The MT gripped Ardyn’s shoulder warmly. “Aww, I see. Don’t worry. We’ll go swimming later, okay?”

Ardyn looked back at the young blonde man. He saw nothing but appreciation and excitement there—Prompto looked like he wanted to make good on that promise. What a prospect…a tiny surge of affection flitted through Ardyn’s heart. 

“Did that man say he was from Niflheim?”

“Is it…common practice in Niflheim to take off your clothes in public?” 

“I haven’t read anything like that, but I guess so…who knows?”

Whispers buzzed around them. More than a few people had witnessed Ardyn’s spectacle, it seemed. 

Prompto grabbed Ardyn’s hand. “Let’s…get out of here, now.” He led them back to the group.

The other three looked visibly relieved when they saw Prompto with Ardyn in tow. They rushed over, Noctis pulling the older man into a hug without thinking. 

“Don’t get lost, okay?” the prince whispered to him. He felt silly for doubting Ardyn—that aside, it could have been pretty dangerous to lose him in the crowd like that.

“Wouldn’t dream of it…” Ardyn replied foggily, feeling overstimulated by Noctis’s embrace and his close proximity with a million other people. 

“This guy almost went for a swim,” Prompto announced.

Silence for a beat. Then Ignis frowned. “…What?” 

The blonde waved his hands when he met all their concerned gazes. “Don’t worry! Crisis averted. …On to the Secretary’s house?” 

“Yeah.” Gladiolus clapped Ardyn on the back. He latched onto the older man’s shoulder and vowed to keep his hand there until they reached the house. “Stick with me, alright?”

It was actually reassuring to have Gladiolus’s hand there. There was some force behind the touch, grounding Ardyn to reality. If he breathed shallowly and kept his eyes forward, he would be fine. 

The chancellor nodded in appreciation. “Understood.” 

Gladiolus had to admit he liked the sound of that. He forget about his ruffled feathers from earlier and pulled Ardyn in a little closer. 

This guy was good to have around, Gladiolus would admit. They should probably keep it that way. The Shield chastised himself for not keeping a closer watch on Ardyn. 

He would do better.

_______________________________________________________

When they arrived at the Secretary’s house, the guards at the gate were indeed ready to greet them. It all seemed to be happening rather fast. Ignis wondered if perhaps they should have checked in at the Leville beforehand, just to get freshened up…he voiced as much to Noctis, over to the side, privately. 

Noctis shook his head, distracted. Knowing his liege, Ignis sighed and deferred to the young man’s opinion. He could tell that Noctis was anxious to see Lunafreya. 

They were brought to Camelia’s office first. The Secretary sat behind her desk and surveyed them all from a comfortable distance. 

“You’ve made rather good time,” she observed aloud, rising to her feet at last. “I can assume Cid helped you?”

“…That’s right…” Noctis answered, not sure if he should be defensive or not.

Camelia’s eyes landed coldly on Ardyn. “And I wasn’t expecting you here today, either, High Chancellor Izunia.”

“…Sorry for not calling ahead.” Ardyn shrugged and met her gaze with a smile. 

Camelia bounced her eyebrows, clearly not enthused, but also not surprised. She had dealt with the chancellor before and knew more or less what to expect. “I don’t suppose you’d be inclined to tell me what you—a high ranking official in the Niflheim army—are doing with a displaced king, whose throne you had a hand in emptying?” 

A chill settled over the room. They all knew that was true, but they had not exactly talked about it. 

Ardyn’s eyes slid over to the other four men. They were shifting around awkwardly and Ardyn was more than a little shocked to feel…something. Bad, he supposed. In so many words.

“If your quarrel is with Niflheim, then I’m here to avail you,” the chancellor announced, gesturing with one hand. 

“Are you now. I suppose we’ll see.” Camelia walked around the desk to shake hands with Noctis. She pointedly did not greet any one else. Then she gestured for the party to follow her. “Come. Your fiancee’s waiting for you. That’s why you’re here, right?”

Camelia led them through her office into a sitting room. Beyond that, she walked them through a long hallway that opened into wide conference room. Before she opened the double doors she turned to the party again. It seemed as if the look on her face never changed.

“By the way, Lunafreya has another guest. She’s meeting with him now.” The Secretary glanced back at Ardyn then Noctis. “Though I doubt that’s a surprise for you, at this point.” 

With that, Camelia swung the doors open. Two fair-skinned people sat bent closely together, speaking in whispered tones that were interrupted by the intrusion. Platinum blonde and snow white—Lunafreya and her brother, Ravus. 

Upon seeing the group, the siblings leapt to their feet. “Noct!” Luna cried, forgetting herself and running around the table to greet her friend. 

Ravus’s differently colored eyes swept over all of them. He scowled at them with distrust and hatred, his human fist and MT prosthetic clenching tightly on either side of him. Then he saw Ardyn. Then his porcelain face broke out into genuine shock. He reared back, clearly not at all expecting to see this man.

The feeling was mutual. But in Ardyn’s case, he did not care one way or the other. Ravus—he had always felt—was not the brightest star in the sky. Whatever Ravus took from this meeting today, Ardyn did not think the commander’s future actions could be that much of a hindrance. 

Still, it was kind of funny seeing Ravus now. In a way, this young man’s life had been spared as well. It had been part of his plan to have Ravus take the fall for failing to kill the Hydraen (a task no one would be able to accomplish). He had planned on betraying Ravus in Altissia anyway. N ow there was no need for Ravus to die. 

This young man would live. How interesting. Ardyn fixed him with a smug, amused stare and Ravus’s face dissolved into further suspicion. 

While they stared at each other, Lunafreya gripped Noctis’s hands in both of hers. She looked at him with such extreme fondness—eyes almost brimming with tears—the others around them started smiling in sympathy. 

“Noctis…I’m so glad…” Luna’s grip tightened. 

Noctis leaned forward, unsure how to express how happy he was himself. “Me too…” he said lamely. 

Far from ‘betrothed,’ they looked more like what they were: Two childhood friends who finally got to see each other again, alive and well—after some doubt. 

Prompto grinned to himself. Reunite Luna and Noct? Check. It had been so worth it, too, just to see the satisfaction on Luna’s face. 

Camelia cleared her throat loudly, walking to the front of the room. “Lovely,” she said, in a voice dripping with sarcasm. “I suppose you’ll have me believe it’s a coincidence we all wound up here today?” 

It actually was. But there was no way they could sell that. So, instead, Lunafreya took the lead. 

“Madam Secretary,” the Oracle began. She let go of Noctis’s hands and walked back around to her brother. “Shall we begin our discussion?”

“Cutting right to the chase…” Camelia muttered under her breath. “But fine. Let’s all take a seat.” 

So they did. The five of them sat close together on one side, with the Nox Fleuret siblings on the other, and Camelia at the head of the table. There were a few (lucky) guards by the door and a wide sprawling window towards the back. It offered up a complete view of the city. A view of no small beauty. 

“Now then.” Camelia started them off. “I’ve got a High Commander in the Niflheim army, a High Chancellor, the youngest Oracle ever to be tenured, and the displaced King of Lucis all sitting at my table. Tell me, are we brokering peace right now? Or is this just posturing?” 

They faltered for a moment, each of them uncertain who should speak first. 

“I’ll start with my reasons,” Ravus announced to the room, eyes narrowing at Ardyn. Luna nodded to her brother, placing her hand over his in reassurance.“I am not here today as a High Commander. I’m here today, in short, as a defector.”

Ardyn nodded slowly in understanding. Of course, Ravus defecting had always been a possibility. But it seemed now the kid finally had the balls to do it. Ardyn would be more impressed if Ravus’s hand hadn’t been forced—the chancellor could accurately guess, to an extent, what the situation in Niflheim must be at this point. 

“I’ll be frank,” Ravus continued. “The Empire is in shambles. Iedolas’s reign has turned to madness. The Emperor strives to turn himself into some kind of god.  Verstael was killed some time ago—in a mission to Ghorovas Rift to recover the body of the Glacian. We’ve been denying his death to the masses for weeks.” 

Ardyn glanced away. Actually he had known about that mission—had argued for its value full-stop—and at the time had fully expected Verstael to perish there. So, at least that part of his plan worked…

“All that remains is Loqi’s command. His forces are growing weak with distrust and maltreatment. With the advancement of the Scourge, the MT army was growing more and more rampant, but now….” Ravus looked back and forth between Luna and Noctis. “Since signs of the Scourge have entirely disappeared, the MTs have become unpredictable. Some of them disappeared with the dawn—simply vanished. Others grew sentient in an unforeseen way, declaring their independence from the Empire like free men and women. Some have removed their masks and chosen to fight alongside the Empire as equals. It has been…difficult. And impossible to stop without…”

Ravus glanced back at Ardyn.

That. Low-grade MTs rising to sentience. Ardyn had not anticipated that. “An unexpected turn of events…” he commented. Truthfully.

But then, none of Ardyn’s plans had ever extended beyond the destruction of the Scourge. He had never factored that in as a possibility, either. Because he had thought that his own fate was tied to the sickness. Now, however, he was getting to see a world without the blight… Curious. 

Prompto perked up in his seat. “Hell yeah…” he breathed, beyond excited by the thought of other MTs rising up to make their own way. He wanted to meet them—fuck, he really did! Prompto wanted to meet each one of these MTs and tell them that they had choices—they were not “empty.” The world was a pretty big place and there was a lot of stuff…!

Without thinking, Prompto reached and grabbed Ardyn’s knee under the table. The younger man was screaming on the inside in pure excitement and he did not know who else to share it with. He dug his fingernails into Ardyn’s jeans, trying to communicate everything he was feeling to the older man who taught him so much about his nature. 

Ardyn smiled when he felt Prompto’s hand. He understood the boy’s excitement. The thought of all those MTs roaming free…well, looking at it from Prompto’s perspective, that was a great thing. Ardyn himself probably wouldn’t have thought much of it otherwise, but…no denying how empowering it was to awaken to one’s own existence.

The chancellor covered Prompto’s hand with his own and squeezed back. The blonde grinned happily, knowing he was understood. 

“So you’re saying the Empire is weak?” Camelia asked the commander. 

Ravus nodded curtly. “Very. As far as my allegiance is concerned, I am throwing all my support behind my sister and her endeavors. That is, to aid the True King of Lucis…”

Ravus mixed purple eyes slid—almost bashfully—over to Noctis.

“Thank you,” Noctis said back to him, tilting his head to one side as if trying to read Ravus’s feelings. 

The high commander shook his head. “It’s not for your sake,” he said plainly. “But for the sake of many lives, in the Empire and in Lucis. As well as my sister’s life. The Empire is weak, as you say, Secretary, but the fact remains that there is no army strong enough to rise against them. The Crownsguard and Kingsglaive forces have been reduced to nothing—the Lucian army is out of the question.” 

“Well, you’ve still got a few warriors here and there that would take a stand,” Gladiolus added curtly. “Got one right here.”

Ravus nodded at him sincerely. It seemed he had factored that in.

“There is no army in Altissia. Period.” Camelia folded her hands together in resolution. “And no warriors to aide your cause.” 

“I understand that,” Ravus answered. He sent a death glare in Ardyn’s direction. “But I would rather not elaborate further until we hear from the High Chancellor. What, sir, in the name of Eos on high, are you doing here?” 

Ardyn sighed. Well, now that Ravus had revealed everything of significance he would clam up? How thoughtful. Really, did Ravus consider himself intelligent, or…?

“I am here,” the chancellor began. “To see my own endeavors through to the end. For now, my path lies with the Chosen King. The Empire’s fate does not concern me. Should the Empire fall, then it will fall. I have no love nor any allegiance to Iedolas, the man. In fact, should I see him again, it will likely be the last time in both of our lives.” 

The room absorbed that. Then Ravus finally asked, “So what do you want?” 

“I want nothing that would concern a band of rebels,” Ardyn answered. “I want only to see the end to very old, very complicated story. To that effect, I am resigning as Chancellor and leaving the Empire to decide its own fate.” 

“You’re…withdrawing?” Ravus asked again, in confirmation. “And going with…him?”

That venomous “him” could only mean Noctis.

“Correct.” Ardyn glanced around the table and realized suddenly how young they all were. Even the Secretary. To them, the world was simple. Either against their current cause or for it. For Ardyn, things like power struggles mattered so little. 

There was only one power, anyway. One real power. That of the Crystal and the king. Ardyn’s fate was tied to that power. So everything else was of no consequence.

“…Why now?” Ravus demanded, beginning to lose his composure and turning angry. 

Ardyn looked back at the High Commander with a passive stare. He had no reason to give a real explanation. And anyway, he was starting to tire of this whole thing. He glanced out the window again in distraction. Snaking throughout the city, Ardyn could make out waterways. They all led to one fantastic ocean around the rim of the city. 

Ardyn’s skin itched to be there. This was all so pointless when compared to that…

Ravus stared in utter astonishment as the chancellor effectively tuned him out. His lower lip trembled with rage for a moment and then he caught himself. The white-haired man rounded on Noctis and his friends. Clearly they had a hand in this. Something—possibly something…unsavory—had occurred.

“I…” Ravus began, looking at the king. “I don’t know what you’ve done.” 

Noctis stared back at him for a moment, then glanced over to Luna. He was more interested in what she thought of all this. 

The Oracle was scrutinizing Ardyn in a quiet way. She squinted and ran her eyes all over the chancellor’s body—penetratingly, to put it simply. Then her face relaxed into peaceful understanding, eyes wide and shoulders back. 

“Oh…” A smile played around Luna’s lips. “He’s healed.” 

“…What?” Ravus whipped around to face his sister. 

“You…” Luna glanced at Noctis and each of his companions. “You healed him, didn't you? All of you. I understand now. He’s the one Gentiana spoke of. The Accursed. You must have…cured him somehow. Didn’t you, Noct?” 

Noctis was so overwhelmingly glad that Lunafreya understood. He nodded surreptitiously and she broke out into a huge smile. 

“…Accursed…?” Ravus asked, basically to himself. Everyone else in the room—even Camelia, in some small way—seemed to understand. 

Suddenly Luna bowed her head. It would have been a formal gesture had she been standing, but she seemed too overjoyed to stand. Imploding with happiness, Luna pressed her hands together and bowed to Noctis and each one of his friends. 

“Well done,” she said with heartfelt sincerity. “Well done, everyone. And thank you.” 

The four of them shuffled anxiously in response.

Luna even bowed to Ardyn. Then she met his gaze. It seemed she knew who he was—had even known his role in all this, probably through her contact with the Archaeons, but she was not looking at him with contempt. She was still smiling—and just as brightly, too. Ardyn was surprised at that. 

“Thank you too, sir,” Luna said to him. “I’m sorry…you must have suffered so much…”

Then Ardyn saw a look of pity in her eyes. That look angered him. Really pissed him off, in fact. He made to stand up and dismiss himself from this meeting.

Ignis saw Ardyn’s move and quickly placed a hand on the older man’s shoulder. He gave Ardyn a slow nod and a gentle squeeze, as if to tell him ‘just a little longer.’ 

“If I may,” Ignis began, addressing everyone. “Aren’t we focusing on the wrong things? Commander Ravus, you reported that the Scourge has effectively disappeared. Lady Lunafreya, can you attest to the same?” 

Luna—seeing that she had unintentionally rankled Ardyn—nodded quietly. (Slowly, only thinking about sparing Ignis some awkwardness, which Ardyn would admit he was loathe to bring upon the kindhearted advisor…after all, Ignis had well and truly cared for him on the boat…the chancellor took his seat.)

“It is the same thing we have heard among our travels. The days have stopped shortening. The nights are remaining static. The Scourge has been defeated, as far as we know. And Noctis’s reign has ushered in the Dawn.” 

The advisor let that settle for a moment. 

Then he went on. “This is a huge victory for all our people, Niflheim, Lucis and yours as well, Madam Secretary.” 

“I think we can all agree on that,” Camelia allowed, leaning back in her chair. “So. What do we owe the king for his service to the people?” 

“I…” Noctis shook his head. “I don’t want anything. It’s not…like that. I just want there to be peace.”

“Hmmph.” Camelia hummed in amusement. “A peace-loving king. Just like your father.” 

Noctis turned to ask her what she meant, but Ravus interrupted him. 

“There can be no peace unless the Empire is soundly defeated.” Ravus had recovered and was looking serious once again. “I am…reasonably confident that I can rouse a rebel faction capable of getting the job done. Dissent among Niflheim soldiers is growing stronger each day. I can rally some of these men and women to our cause, certainly. As well as some of the MTs I just mentioned. If they can be reasoned with.” 

Prompto flinched at the implication. But beyond that, he loved the thought of an MT rebel army…That was hardcore.

“That sounds doable,” Ignis said, nodding in agreement with Ravus. “We’ve met with…certain factions in our travels that seem amenable to negotiations.” 

Ravus blinked. “You mean Aranea Highwind?” 

“…Precisely.” 

“Yes, she is with us.” Ravus turned to Gladiolus. “And you, King’s Shield. How many warriors from the Lucian Army can we rely on?”

“Hard to say,” Gladiolus replied. “I’ll send word to the Marshal right away and see how many people he knows who are still left. As far as I’ve seen myself, I’d say at least a couple dozen.”

Ravus pursed his lips in dissatisfaction. Those numbers alone did not sound very impressive. 

“Look, these are solid soldiers we’re talking about,” the Shield affirmed, readjusting himself in his chair. “Forty of these guys is an army to be reckoned with. Trust me.” 

“Indeed,” Ignis added. “And we may not even need much skill to topple the Empire at this point. One last push should suffice to finish them off, if they do not have scores of MTs and daemon hordes at their disposable.” 

Ravus nodded. “Many of the daemons vanished with the Dawn. And thanks to the cure of the Scourge, the Empire is incapable of breeding more.” 

“This could work…” Noctis breathed, looking around the table. “Let’s do it.” 

Everyone nodded their agreement. A sense of resolution flickered across the table. 

“Noct,” Luna began softly. “Can I…tell you what I think you should do?”

“Of course.” Noctis was a little taken aback at how serious Luna looked.

“The Scourge is gone…but not in the way the Archaeons originally foresaw.” Luna wrung her hands slightly. “I don’t…know what the Draconian will do. He is the one who gave us the Prophecy, all those years ago.” 

Ardyn’s gaze turned cold when he heard mention of Bahamut’s prophecy. 

“I don’t think we can celebrate the end of the Scourge and the dawning of a new era until the Chosen King has spoken with him.” Lunafreya looked at Noctis frankly. “You need to reclaim the Crystal and commune with the Draconian. You need to seek out the blessing of the Crystal, for the sake of your reign’s legitimacy—”

“Does a king not decide his own legitimacy?” Ardyn interrupted, almost on his feet again. His rust-colored eyes had grown dark with the mention of everything he hated. 

And the thought…that the Crystal could still exact its will upon Noctis—who had barely avoided the Crystal’s death and judgement the first time. 

Luna looked back at Ardyn. She seemed more resolute now. “You should go as well. The Crystal may yet have a place for you, sir, in all of this…”

Ardyn needed to breathe deeply to keep himself calm. He boiled with hatred for the Archaeons and the Crystal’s capricious will…the thought of being given a new task by those hypocrites—the ones who had sent him on his healing mission in the first palce, then denied him ascension—was laughable.

“We’ll do it,” Noctis declared, somehow on behalf of both of them. “We’ll commune with the crystal. We can’t ignore it, right? The Crystal is where all our power comes from. I’ll…have to face it eventually.” 

The prince was looking at no one but Ardyn when he said that. 

Such…painfully clear logic. Sitting on the throne of Lucis meant bondage to the Crystal, at least in some capacity. Even if Ardyn wanted to see the thing destroyed—which he did—they would still have to go there and see the Crystal with their own eyes. They needed to understand what the Crystal wanted from them…in order to seek any kind of way to get out from under its thumb.

There was no other way. Besides living in hiding and forsaking the throne. Which it did not seem Noctis was ready to do. And neither was Ardyn, in many ways. If they left a vacuum of power, someone would fill it no matter what. Someone always did.

Yet again, the Crystal’s destiny was inescapable. 

“We don’t have anything to hide,” Noctis said, speaking directly to Ardyn. “We’ll choose our own fate this time.”

As much as those pure-hearted words made Ardyn want to embrace his young king, they also hurt him quite a bit. The Crystal was not so kind as to take one’s own choices as suggestions. It didn’t work like that. 

But…

The end of the meeting droned on for a little longer, while they assigned roles to each other. Ravus would return to Niflheim to rally forces, while Noctis and his friends contacted their own people to bring them over to the cause. Lunafreya, it was decided, would stay in Altissia. She could do best in neutral territory, a trump card for the resistance.

In the meantime, Noctis and his party would continue on to Gralea and then to Zegnatus Keep. To finish obtaining the Royal Arms, and then to commune with the Crystal.

Ardyn agreed, with a solemn nod of his head, to show Noctis the way to Crystal.

In his heart, Ardyn had already decided. He would not let the Crystal take Noctis. Whatever happened, Ardyn could not allow that.

He just couldn’t.

_____________________________________________________

After the meeting, Noctis and Lunafreya spent some time alone together to discuss things. They had a lot to talk about—not about wedding matters, either. Just catching up on their own lives. 

Noctis decided to drag Prompto along for the talk. Luna made it very clear that she had been dying to meet the young blonde. Something about a dog and a note…?

Ravus bid farewell to all of them, after finally agreeing to promise that he would be “safe” during his espionage within the Empire. Whatever “safe” meant.

So Ignis, Gladiolus, and Ardyn took their leave. Ignis booked them all a hotel room at the Leville—clearly the nicest place they had ever stayed. The three of them sat in the hotel room for a short time, absorbing the day’s events in their own ways.

Then Ignis announced that he would go out into the town to procure supplies for the remainder of their trip. Gladiolus agreed, giving him a short list of things they needed. The Shield knew that shopping was a great way for Ignis to clear his head. That’s probably what they all needed.

Once Ignis left, Gladiolus looked curiously over at Ardyn. The older man had not stopped frowning since Lunafreya mentioned the Crystal. Judging from what Noctis told them about Ardyn’s history, that made sense. 

But Gladiolus was not one to dwell on the past. He preferred moving on, creating new history. Maybe Ardyn needed a dose of the same thing.

So, Gladiolus sprang into action. He tapped Ardyn on the shoulder, jostling the (former) chancellor out of his thoughts. 

“Hey, you wanted to go swimming, right?” Gladiolus flashed him an enticing grin.

Suddenly remembering his deep wish from earlier that day, Ardyn nodded. He glanced over to the window immediately, checking if there was any daylight left. It was about 15:00. A few hours of sun still remained…

This mortal life. Ardyn reasoned that he’d better enjoy it all while he still could.

“Well, then? Let’s go.” 

With that, Gladiolus pulled the older man to his feet and whisked him out the door. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At heart, I'm a LOTR nerd, so nonsense high fantasy politics is kind of where I live. Yeah. I'm weird like that.
> 
> Hope this one made sense! Plot and some feels for everyone <3


	6. Ocean

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To the beach!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! This one has plenty of smut. Behold ;) lol

**Chapter 6: Ocean**

Gladiolus searched on his phone for where they could find a legitimate beach. Though Altissia was all waterways, the city actually only had one place for people to go swimming. A far, out-of-the-way place, past even the monster arena. Once he finally figured out how to navigate the gondolas to get there, Gladiolus dragged Ardyn through the streets—hand-in-hand—with only a vague description of where they were going. 

People noticed. There were more than a few whispers about the “city of romance” and the effect that it had on people. 

Ardyn let Gladiolus pull him along. He hardly cared about the chatter. With Gladiolus’s hand in his…Ardyn was starting to care less and less about a lot of things. He wanted to see where the Shield was taking him. And then, in some ways, he couldn’t even care about that. He wanted Gladiolus to take him somewhere private where Ardyn could…well, he remembered that tight body and how it felt to rub up against those abs. Thinking about that made Ardyn’s face heat up, though not in embarrassment.

It seemed being strong-armed by a gorgeous man was a pleasure of its own.

They had to take a long set of stairs, then pass through a tunnel. Finally, on the other side of the underpass, the pair came out onto a modest beach. The sand was clean enough (Altissia spent a lot of money on public infrastructure and waste management), but not flawless by any means. Leftovers from the day’s beach-goers (empty sandwich bags, discarded sand toys, and some metal cans) could still be found here and there. Still, the water was clear. The ocean sparkled blue with dappled sunlight, waves tugging lazily against the shore. There were at almost at high tide, so the water had already engulfed half the beach. Most people were packing up to go home.

Ardyn stood still, eyes wide as he absorbed the sight of the ocean. The sloshing sound of gentle waves. The salty smell. Some birds cawing. He closed his eyes for a moment to get his bearings. 

This scene took him back. It could almost have been a day from his childhood…he imagined his sister sitting along the shore, her red hair flying in the breeze. His friends competing to see who could dive the deepest. To Ardyn at that time in his life, the ocean felt enormous. Like a living thing. A gentle giant. Back when he used to believe in such things. 

Opening his eyes again, Ardyn realized the stark differences between the beaches from his boyhood and this beach. This one was phenomenally smaller. People probably had to petition tirelessly to stop the boundaries of the city from encroaching on this already pitiful landscape. The waves looked tamer than he remembered, as if even the water itself had yielded its power to modernity. 

Ardyn took a deep breath as he registered some disappointment. The unmistakable scent of the ocean was still the same, however. Nothing had changed on that front—at least, not that Ardyn could remember.

“Not too bad, yeah?” Gladiolus remarked—for some reason, still holding Ardyn by the hand. “At least we managed to get here before it closes.” 

The former chancellor frowned. Beaches…closed? How could they close down a beach? Wasn’t it just…there? Part of the scenery? If people wanted to go for a swim at night—daemons be damned—they couldn’t? Weird.

Gladiolus scanned the beach for something very specific. When we found it, he smiled and tugged Ardyn in the direction of some small beach shack. It looked like a place where people could by t-shirts and small souvenirs, along with some frozen snacks and drinks. The owner was about to close for the night, pulling down the metal grate that covered his storefront.

“Hold up, man,” Gladiolus entreated in a friendly way. “Got a few more customers here.” 

The storeowner eyed Gladiolus and Ardyn apathetically. He glanced down at where they were holding hands, raising an eyebrow to himself. Then, without a word, the man pushed the grate back up and went to stand behind the register. It seemed he was not against the thought of a few more dollars at the end of the day.

“Thanks!” Gladiolus nodded gratefully at the guy. He bounded into the store with an easy, confident gait.

Ardyn could not see why they were wasting time in here. He generally did not love the look of this place. There was sand all over the floor—ground into the very woodwork over the years. It smelled of syrupy soft drinks and something else Ardyn could not identify. 

But Gladiolus seemed to know exactly what he was looking for. He grabbed a pair of large swimming trunks off the rack, then turned to size up Ardyn. The shield frowned in thought as he glanced at Ardyn’s waist. Shrugging indifferently, Gladiolus finally settled on an extra large. 

If Ardyn was supposed to be offended, the meaning was lost on him. He stared at the bright red and electric blue of the swimming shorts, trying to figure out why Gladiolus wanted to spend money here. Now the bigger man was scooping up two pairs of sandals as well.

“Come on.” The Shield took hold of Ardyn’s shoulder and nudged him to the back of the store. Gladiolus regarded the storeowner again. “Alright if we change in back?” 

The man blinked for a moment, considering. He focused in again on where Gladiolus and Ardyn were touching. But then the owner just shrugged and nodded without a word. 

Gladious gave the man a thumbs up, steering them in the direction of some rooms marked with stick figures in the shape of a man and another wearing a dress. Ardyn assumed they were bathrooms when he walked in. Seemed he was wrong about that.

Pushing Ardyn into one tight fitting room, Gladiolus squeezed in behind him and closed the curtain. They were practically on top of each other in there (it seemed two adult men were not meant to share this space—especially one who was easily the bulk of two men). 

“Here,” Gladiolus held up the pair of red shorts. “Put these on.” 

Ardyn took them slowly. The material was smooth and stretchy in his hands. He looked up at Gladiolus with a frown. “…Underclothes?” he asked.

The Shield shook his head, a smirk playing on his lips. “Nope. Swimsuits. This is what people wear when they wanna go swimming.” 

Oh. So, over the years, people had designed outfits that were made for going in the water. It seemed useless, probably a profit-making venture turned successful. When Ardyn was growing up, people just swam naked. Nudity was no big scandal back then. He had swum in the nude with his family and friends as everyone did—it was unheard of to do anything else.

But people these days were more self-conscious and a fair bit more judgmental of other everyone else’s bodies. Ardyn nodded in understanding.

Gladiolus slapped Ardyn on the shoulder, a manly gesture of appreciation. “I’ll be in the next one over. Wait for me right here.” He dropped one pair of flip-flops at Ardyn’s feet. “Use these, too,” he said.

With the curtain closed, Ardyn surveyed the swim trunks once again. They really did look like boxers, so he assumed they were worn the same way. He stored the rest of his clothes in his Armiger, deciding to leave on the buttoned-down shirt (walking around shirtless among people who frowned on unsightly bodies was not something Ardyn really wanted to do). 

The elastic around his waist was tight, but the rest of the material hung loosely. Far too bulky for Ardyn’s taste. For a brief moment, he was worried his manhood might come loose and slip out—then he discovered that the fabric in the front of the suit fit tighter for that purpose. So he tucked himself in and put on the sandals. The strap rubbed uncomfortably between his toes. He did not care for it.

These clothes were an ill fit, Ardyn decided. He peered at himself in the mirror and clicked his tongue in displeasure. He looked…well, he looked like a middle-aged man in swim trunks. Perhaps that was the goal. But Ardyn could not help feeling like he was making a fool of himself. 

He listened to Gladiolus changing next door. The sound of fabric dropping against the floor, elastic snapping, and zippers…it was easy to imagine the scene in his head.

Ardyn considered wandering into the stall. He leaned against their shared wall for a moment and thought. Gladiolus might be naked in there…Ardyn felt the heat from earlier wash through him again. He imagined the smooth roundness of Gladiolus’s backside—an ass he appreciated before, thoroughly—and the tight muscles on the man’s upper body…

With the way the swim trunks hugged him, Ardyn could actually see his own cock twitching beneath the fabric. It surprised him. He had not worn anything tight in…an indeterminable amount of years. To be able to watch his body react as well as feel it…that was kind of interesting.

“Alright. Ready?” 

Gladiolus was standing outside his stall. It seemed the younger man had managed to finish first because of Ardyn’s dawdling. 

Wetting his dry lips, Ardyn decided that these thoughts were best left for another time. He could hardly go out there with a very visible bulge in his shorts…right? He took a deep breath and opened the curtain.

The two men sized each other up from a long moment. Gladiolus was wearing the electric blue trunks and a black sleeveless top (seemed he had an endless amount of those). The clothes—unlike Ardyn’s—definitely worked for the younger man. He looked confidant and somehow more masculine. The front of his shorts already sported a slack thickness—from what Ardyn already knew was a sizable (even when soft) cock. 

Ardyn’s fingers twitched at his sides. He wanted to run his hands down Gladiolus’s shoulders, to press his own incorrigible cock against the bulge in Gladiolus’s pants…he was sure it would be soft at first, but then it would grow hard against him…Ardyn wanted that…

“You look good.” 

Ardyn’s eyes flicked upwards to meet Gladiolus’s gaze. (Alright, he had been staring rather unabashedly at that man’s cock. Obviously.) 

But…was Gladiolus being serious? The younger man was smiling, so Ardyn thought he might just be joking around. (Gladiolus could be sarcastic, after all.)

Ardyn rolled his eyes. “Don’t be patronizing.” He stood up straighter and made to walk out.

Gladiolus stood in front of him, blocking his path. His smile faded, and his dark eyes turned genuine. “I’m not. I’m being serious. You look nice like this. Kind of…normal.” 

The former immortal tilted his head to one side. Gladiolus’s face was surprisingly very versatile. He could convey all kinds of expressions. And right now, the younger man looked like he really did appreciate the sight of Ardyn in these ridiculous clothes. 

“Well…” Ardyn glanced to the side. “…Thank you.”

Gladiolus smiled again. “Yeah. Let’s do this…” He hands reached up to Ardyn’s collar and undid the top buttons, all the way down to Ardyn’s stomach. “There. That’s better.” 

When he looked down, Ardyn could see most of his torso was exposed. All of his (untoned) chest and the top of his (older man’s) belly. He could only imagine this look made him even more laughable…but Gladiolus looked very pleased. He nodded and gestured for Ardyn to follow him.

“You’re…sure?” Ardyn asked, glancing down at his body one more time.

“Yep. Come on.”

If Gladiolus was alright with this, then…Ardyn decided to trust the Shield. After all, this was Gladiolus’s era and…well…if the younger man appreciated the sight of him, then Ardyn was not going to readily contradict that…

Outside, Gladiolus piled on some more things to buy. A few towels and a squeezable bottle of…something. The Shield had stored his previous outfit in his Armiger, it seemed. So their hands were free enough.

After paying for everything at the register, Gladiolus thanked the man by telling him to keep the change. “Thanks for keeping your place open a little longer, for our sake.”

Whistling quietly, the storeowner reached under the desk. He surreptitiously lifted up a roll of condom wrappers, nodding meaningfully in Ardyn’s direction. (Again, any meaning was lost, because Ardyn had no idea what those were.)

Raising his eyebrows in mild surprise, Gladiolus nodded. “Uh, yeah sure, alright. How much?” 

The man shook his head. He pressed the condoms into Gladiolus’s hand and closed the register. “ ’Night.” 

Something passed between Gladiolus and the man. Mutual appreciation. Ardyn looked uneasily between them. 

When the moment passed, Gladiolus grabbed Ardyn by the hand again. The storeowner nodded in Ardyn’s direction and gave him a small thumbs up. 

There were a lot of things going on here, Ardyn figured. But he could not be sure exactly what. 

Leading them onto the shore, Gladiolus dropped the towels in the sand. “Seems as good a place as any. You ready?”

“Ah…” Ardyn looked around the beach. Men in similar trunks and women in suits that covered their tops and bottoms (respectively) were milling around. They did not even glance at the two of them. Were they actually…blending with the crowd, here? That was unexpected. Anyone that did look their way seemed appreciative of Gladiolus’s eye-catching figure. There was even one woman who met Ardyn’s gaze and actually…winked at him. 

Well, then. It seemed they were free to do as they liked here. 

Gladiolus could not help staring at Ardyn. The guy looked confused—at best—in this dwindling crowd of beach-goers. But still. Maybe it was how natural Ardyn looked that was the most surprising thing of all. Here he was just a man—someone who wanted to enjoy the beach same as everyone else. Nothing like the Accursed or some distant royalty. Just a guy.

Gladiolus liked that. He felt a thrumming surge of affection for Ardyn. If even someone as far gone as this guy could come back to reality, could go to beach and have fun…then…maybe the world wasn’t such a shitty, complicated place after all. The Shield had more or less given up on believing in the goodness of the world—not since Insomnia (his father, and the rest of the Kingsglaive) fell. He thought there was just war, life, and death. His three friends. Noctis’s goal. That was about it. 

But now…hell, this guy who was over two thousand years old stood there like a regular person. It was hard to worry about the future when you had something that amazing in front of you. 

The Shield moved in and aggressively ruffled Ardyn’s hair. It was a supreme gesture of fondness for the bigger man, but Ardyn had not been expecting it. He gasped and ducked out of the way, staring at Gladiolus like the Shield had lost his mind. 

“Sorry,” Gladiolus said, a laugh rumbling around in his chest. He wasn’t really sorry. “You look a little lost. Don’t know what comes next?” 

The look of wariness slowly drained from Ardyn’s face as he stared back over at the water. “Shall we…go?” 

Gladiolus shook his head, holding up the bottle of suntan lotion he had just bought. “Nope. Not yet. Got to take care of your skin first.” 

His skin? Ardyn frowned when Gladiolus poured some suntan lotion on his hands. That smell…a medicinal kind of dampness, slightly sweet. It was the smell that permeated the beach shack, the one Ardyn did not recognize. What exactly was this stuff? 

“Take your shirt off,” the Shield instructed, holding his gooped-up hands out to Ardyn.

Ardyn looked around. “…Now?” 

“Yeah. Hurry up, let me show you.” 

Grunting a little in uncertainty, Ardyn unbuttoned his shirt the rest of the way. He took it off slowly, folding it into his Armiger. He glanced around again, wondering if he should try and hold himself up straighter, suck in his stomach to look slightly more appealing…

But he didn’t get the chance. Gladiolus slapped his hands on Ardyn’s shoulders and lathered lotion all over the older man’s back. Ardyn gasped in surprise—the stuff was colder than he thought! Thick and slippery…but in Gladiolus’s warm hands, it wasn’t that horrible…Those hands spreading stuff all over his back and then sliding around to his front. Up his stomach, over his chest. 

Slick fingers brushed his nipples and Ardyn cried out on protest. 

“Heh, sorry,” Gladiolus chuckled, suddenly very close to him. Again, it was clear that the Shield was not really sorry. 

“What…is this for…?” Ardyn groaned, as Gladiolus laid down a layer of cream on Ardyn’s long arms. 

“It’s sunscreen.” Gladiolus made sure to get the back of Ardyn’s neck as well. “To protect your skin. Don’t want you to get a sunburn, right? Tch, Iggy would kill me…”

Sunburn…? Ah. Yes, Ardyn sort of remembered that. Reddened skin. He had gotten that as a boy. A memory came to mind of his mother chastising him for playing too long in the sun…

“Let’s get your face, too.” Gladiolus spread some lotion with one finger across Ardyn’s nose and cheekbones.

Drenched in semi-white smear, Ardyn could say he was quite the mockery at this point. But no one around them seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary. Even so…his skin felt clammy and vaguely prickly…he was actually somewhat disappointed when Gladiolus declared himself finished. 

Then Ardyn had an idea. “Should I…do the same for you?”

Bouncing his eyebrows in surprise, Gladiolus nodded. “Thought you wouldn’t ask. Yeah, go ahead.” With that, the Shield took off his shirt—drawing a fair bit of attention.

Ardyn poured a generous amount of lotion in his hands. He was going to enjoy this. 

Moving slowly, Ardyn spread his hands up Gladiolus’s shoulders. Ah, yes. Just as taut as he remembered. Hot and rippling with life. The intricate tattoo pattern—eagle feathers, wings, Ardyn realized up close—dazzling to the touch. Ardyn laid down another coat on Gladiolus’s chest and stomach, tantalized by the way one of the eagle’s claws dipped in against the larger man’s nipple. He wanted to trace that pattern with his mouth…He wanted to feel this man get aroused underneath him…

He could remember the feeling of Gladiolus’s arousal. Hard and overbearing, but still somewhat relaxed. Lackadaisical. But strong. Heady. Ardyn wanted to wrap himself in Gladiolus’s arms and lose himself in the man’s embrace.

“You can rub it in a little bit, you know. Works better that way.” 

Ardyn did as he was told, trying not to moan as his fingers grazed hard abs. An image flashed through his mind of Gladiolus throwing aside all pretenses and taking him hard, right there in the sand. Oh, how lovely…

Realizing where his thoughts were going, Ardyn swallowed and adjusted his stance. He tried to hide the visible half-erection in his suit. Perhaps he succeeded…but…most likely not.

…Why did Gladiolus have this effect on him? 

The younger man’s body was gorgeous, of course. But not a novelty. Ardyn had fucked a good number of men like this in his day—he had even fucked his own Shield, the first one anyway. That man…the first Shield Ardyn had ever been assigned. He was young, just like Ardyn had been. In his teenage years, Ardyn had drawn commoners and royal staff to him like moths to a flame. As a prince, he was a rather attractive youth, with charming wit and personality, rumored to possess some fabulous prophesied ability. Everyone liked him. A great many were romantically interested to boot. As for his Shield, well…that man practically worshipped Ardyn. He chased after Ardyn’s attention, wheeling for even a fleeting gaze from his prince. 

Treassius. That had been the Shield’s name. Ardyn remembered now. He called him “Treasure.” The man adored the nickname, even as he pretended to be offended. 

Of course, they had an affair. Ardyn was flattered by all the attention—he always did love praise, even when he was swimming in it as a young man. And Treasure was a wonderful bedmate. Willing to please. So flexible. Kind of a screamer. With a strong body just like Gladiolus’s.

Yet, it was all a fleeting dream. Ardyn knew that from the start. Eventually their trysts were discovered. Ardyn’s father had been outraged—he even had Treassius flogged as punishment for overstepping his boundaries with the royal line. Ardyn regretted it (he hadn’t known his father would react quite that badly…). After that, Ardyn was assigned a new Shield. An older man with an…uninteresting body. More fat than muscle, practically a brute with a club. Ardyn could not help feeling like his father had chosen the man on purpose, just for his body. So that Ardyn would not be “tempted to stray.” It worked. Treasure was the last royal servant Ardyn ever slept with.

Gladiolus, though? Sleeping with the prince hardly registered with this man. Just like Ignis, Gladiolus bent to whatever Noctis wanted. He adored the kid, looked out for him like a brother. But Gladiolus was different from Treasure. He did not worship Noctis. He did not worship anyone. Gladiolus was a man assured by his own abilities. He knew himself and he did not pretend to be anything else. After all, he did not need to. The truth of his strength and steadfastness was more than good enough.

And then, there was the memory of what Gladiolus had done for Ardyn. That time. How he had somehow managed to get it up while Ardyn was shuffling back and forth between his daemon and human forms. How he had fucked Ardyn to the core, regardless of what he looked like, and then…treated Ardyn with respect afterwards. 

Such a man…Ardyn would certainly not mind submitting to him again. Not at all. He craved it, actually…would do it again in a heartbeat…

Forgetting himself, Ardyn reached upwards and planted a kiss on the back of the Shield’s neck. Ardyn was thoroughly aroused now, covered in lotion, with his hands all over the other man. 

“Heh…” Gladiolus turned around slowly to look at him. “You tryin’ to put on a show?” 

A crisp breeze reminded Ardyn where they were. His eyes flicked around to see if they had been spotted—and only a few people averted their eyes in return. So, not terrible. 

Did it even matter that other people were watching them…? Ardyn thought for a minute what it would feel like to be fucked by Gladiolus while everyone in attendance looked on. He would make eye contact with each and every one of them, letting them envy him while he moaned, relishing Gladiolus’s attention...

“Seriously.” Gladiolus grabbed Ardyn’s hand yet again. “We better get in the water before it gets dark.” 

Yes, erotic exhibitionist fantasies aside, Ardyn needed to focus on the reason why they came here. After all, the water had risen rather high. It was time.

The child-like excitement from earlier reignited inside Ardyn. He let Gladiolus lead him to the edge of the water. Those waves sparkled so much, even with the sun in the west. Ardyn could feel the sun being reflected on his naked chest, warming him from the inside out. 

“I think it’s high enough that one step and you’ll be in up to your knees,” Gladiolus commented. “Alright?” 

Ardyn stared scrutinizingly at the water. Gladiolus was probably right. A flicker of anxiety raced through his chest, and Ardyn knew why. This was the old instinct that had been ingrained him to stay away from water. He had spent so long avoiding the ocean and now…he was about to jump right in. He could not help feeling a little anxious, even though his experience with Noctis in the shower was more than enough evidence that water was not harmful to him anymore. 

Gladiolus did not let go of the older man’s hand. He climbed into the water, keeping a strong hold on Ardyn but not pulling him in. Indeed, it came up to Gladiolus’s thighs. A few steps backwards and Gladiolus was already in up to his waist. 

The Shield sighed in relief. “Ah…feels good. Temperature’s fine. Maybe a little cold cuz it’s the end of the day, but not bad.”

Ardyn looked back and forth where Gladiolus was and where their hands met in the middle. It was better that Gladiolus had gone in first. This way, if Ardyn collapsed in there, Gladiolus could pull him right out. (It was strange, he realized distantly, how he could rely on Gladiolus to do that, without even mentioning anything.) 

“Come on.” Gladiolus held out his other hand. 

Without a word, Ardyn took it. It probably looked silly, two grown men holding hands over the water like that. But none of that mattered. 

Slowly, the former immortal put one foot in the ocean. The water squirmed between his toes, over his skin. Touching him everywhere at once. Ardyn shivered—goosebumps raising on his flesh. It was colder than the thought—colder than Gladiolus made it sound!

But the sharp coolness of the ocean felt familiar, all the same. He could still hear the waves, still smell the saltiness. So, he gripped Gladiolus’s hands a little tighter and put in his other foot.

“Nnh…” Ardyn mumbled, effectively in the water now. He shivered from head to toe. 

“There we go,” Gladiolus said quietly, pulling Ardyn out, closer to him. It felt better being near Gladiolus’s warmth. As if the younger man had managed to absorb some of the sun into his skin. “Let’s go in further.”

And so, Gladiolus waded deeper into the waves with Ardyn alongside him. When the water surged up to their stomachs, Ardyn gasped. He could feel the ocean’s touch seeping through his shorts, against his genitals, onto the soft, defenseless flesh of his gut. It was an uncomfortable feeling—he pulled away on instinct. 

But Gladiolus’s grip kept him from walking out. “Here,” he said, sinking down into a sitting position, letting the water buoy him him. “Sit down. You can float like that.”

Fighting the urge to leave, Ardyn watched Gladiolus’s neck bobbing in and out of the water. He remembered floating in the water like that. He remembered loving it…

So, gritting his teeth against the cold, Ardyn pushed himself further in and sat down. Sure enough the water rushed underneath him and Ardyn waded in up to his shoulders. He pushed outwards with his arms, keeping himself floating in one spot. 

“Ah…” Ardyn sighed, closing his eyes. It felt much better when he was completely submerged. He could hear the water lapping against his skin, sliding against him painlessly. Allowing him to be there. 

Welcoming him. After so many years. 

A slow, relaxed smile crept onto Ardyn’s face. Memory took over and he dipped his head backwards, getting his hair wet. He groaned in pleasure as the water soaked his scalp. With his face tilted upwards, sunlight washed over him properly. 

He stayed like that for a while, eyes closed, enjoying the moment. The water sloshed against him. The sun beat down on him. It felt…wonderful. Like being alive.

“Feels good, huh?” Gladiolus swam around to Ardyn’s side. “If you stick your legs out, you can float on your back.” He put a hand between Ardyn’s shoulder as reassurance.

Leaning into Gladiolus’s touch, Ardyn did just that. He let the water buoy him up to the surface, laying down on the water as it carried him. He felt weightless. For a moment, he forgot all about everything waiting for them in Zegnatus Keep. He forgot what it felt like to be humanity’s curse and instead felt like a small part of the world. 

That was…a surprisingly refreshing thought. To matter so little. Ardyn was honestly surprised at himself for thinking such a thing—and that didn’t make it true, either—but it was nice to imagine. 

He closed his eyes and floated, making sure to hold tightly to Gladiolus’s hand the whole time, lest he float away. 

After a few minutes, Gladiolus pulled him in another direction. They paddled around in the waves unhurriedly, some causal words passing between them.

“Wanna try letting go?” Gladiolus asked after a while. He gestured to their hands to indicate what he meant.

Ardyn realized he had been latched onto the Shield this whole time. He was feeling a little more confident now, since it had become apparent that this water was essentially harmless on its own. So, maybe it was a good time to try swimming on his own…

Nodding his head silently, Ardyn raised their hands. He slowly let go…one second later, Ardyn grabbed Gladiolus’s hands again. That brief moment of independence had been a little…too much. Ardyn suddenly became a worried a wave would come by and overtake him—he certainly did not remember how to swim against the current like he used to. It was a frightful thought.

But Gladiolus said nothing. He just kept his hands outstretched, letting Ardyn do whatever he wanted. 

“It’s fine,” the Shield said eventually. “I got you. Even if you let go, I’m not gonna let you drown or anything.” 

Ardyn stared back at him. Gladiolus in all his virile glory, framed by the far-stretching ocean…quite a sight. Ardyn had no desire to let go. In fact, he wanted to get even closer…

So, the former immortal swam in close, right up against Gladiolus’s chest. He let go of the younger man’s hands and wrapped his arms around the Shield’s neck. Now they were pressed together, skin slick from the ocean water between their bodies. 

“I’m quite fine like this,” Ardyn murmured against Gladiolus’s lips. 

The bigger man chuckled, bracing his hands on Ardyn’s lower back. “Oh, are you now?” 

“Indeed.” 

Ardyn loved the way the skin on his face rubbed against Gladiolus’s prominent nose. Their faces were just barely touching. He wanted to run his tongue over each and every scar on Gladiolus, but he settled for inching his own nose over the vertical scar down Gladiolus’s left eye. He could feel Gladiolus’s warm, tight body all over him, exaggerated by the water. And he could smell the younger man’s sweaty, sun-kissed skin. 

So, Ardyn pressed his groin into Gladiolus’s stomach, letting the Shield feel how aroused he had become. 

Gladiolus hummed. “Shit, you’re that hard already?”

Ardyn paused for a moment, not expecting surprise. “Well…I’ve been… _enticed_ since earlier.” 

“Tch,” Gladiolus snorted a laugh. “Really?” 

“…Yes. And you?” Ardyn hooked one leg around Gladiolus’s waist. He wanted this young man. Now, if possible.

“Heh, I’m getting there. Especially when you’re like this.” The Shield snuck a hand in between them to palm Ardyn’s hardness over his shorts. 

Mmm…a familiar hand there. Ardyn moaned quietly, shifting his hips to fit his whole (now very erect) length into the other man’s hand. 

“Wow…you’re even hornier than I thought…” Gladiolus muttered, kissing the side of Ardyn’s face and down his neck.

The older man cried out softly, tilting his head to give the Shield more access to his sensitive neck. “What…do you mean?” 

Gladiolus licked the pulse in Ardyn’s throat. Then he pulled away and said, “Well, Iggy said you’d be pretty down to fuck after what happened. Since your body knows what healed you and wants to protect itself. Also, because…I guess you haven’t really been fucked properly in a long time. Not the way that you need, at least.” 

Ardyn froze for a moment. …Oh. So. That’s why his body had been…like this…ever since…? Ardyn had not really stopped to think of an actual reason, but what Gladiolus said (and Ignis hypothesized) made a lot sense. Especially when he thought about the fact that their sex is exactly what cured him of the Scourge. 

Just knowing that though was not enough to make Ardyn pause for long. He pressed his lips to Gladiolus’s and kissed the man softly, relishing in the familiar feel of his mouth. Warm and sturdy. Not insistent. He remembered Gladiolus fucking him until he felt like he was about to die, until the daemons inside of him screamed and begged for reprieve…

That lit a fire in him like no other. Ardyn deepened their kiss rubbing their bare chests together in the water. 

Holding the back of Ardyn’s head, Gladiolus pulled his mouth away. “Alright, hold on, now.”

“…Why?” Ardyn was staring at the Shield’s mouth, hungry for another go.

“Heh…” Gladiolus smirked lasciviously. “I can’t fuck you in the middle of the ocean…” 

“Can’t you…?” Ardyn asked, not sure what Gladiolus was talking about. He kissed along the man’s chin, nibbling the light stubble there. Was this man playing hard to get?

Gladiolus chuckled again, trying to unhook Ardyn’s leg from his waist. “Come on, let’s go back to the hotel room where we can get some privacy. Unless you want to spend the night in jail for whatever crime we’re committing right now…” 

“The hotel…?” Ardyn reluctantly dropped his leg. He groaned in frustration. “So far…” 

Shaking his head, Gladiolus led Ardyn by the hand to the shore. “Don’t worry. We’ll have a lot of time to ourselves once we get there.”

Stepping out of the water was a rude awakening. All their weight returned and Ardyn felt dragged down to the ground. He tripped, landing on his knees for a moment. He forgot how much swimming sapped your strength…

Gladiolus stopped and helped him up. At least that strange tiredness and the shock of being on land again drained some of their mutual hardness. Now Ardyen felt like he could walk straight…for the most part…

When they reached their towels, Gladiolus shook the sand out of them and tossed one to Ardyn. Using what he remembered, the former immortal toweled himself dry and put his shirt back on. Just in time, as the beach was beginning to close. 

“Let’s get there fast.” Gladiolus winked at Ardyn, taking his hand once again. “Pretty sure I remember the way.” 

____________________________________________________

True to his word, Gladiolus successfully led them back to the Leville. In the gondola, it was hard not to want to crawl in Gladiolus’s lap, to perch on the big man’s spread knees…but Ardyn satisfied himself by trailing one hand in the water, and wrapping the other hand around Gladiolus’s inner thigh. Just to remind the Shield that he was there, that he still very much wanted him.

It worked well enough. 

By the time they made it back to the hotel room, Gladiolus himself was starting to feel pretty impatient. He could not believe how much Ardyn could tease, inching his hand just close enough to Gladiolus’s groin without actually touching him. To know—even without any words passing between them—that Ardyn was turned on that whole time, dying for him…well, the Shield was not made of stone. He wanted to fuck Ardyn good now.

As soon as the door closed behind them—the room still empty, devoid of their companions—they attacked each other. A mess of limbs and mouths, scrabbling against each other for purchase, for the divine feel of skin against skin. 

They pulled off each other’s shirts and swimsuits, groaning in shared relief once they were finally naked. By everything on Eos, Ardyn had wanted to get this young man naked for the better part of the day.

He hooked his leg around Gladiolus’s waist again, dizzy from want. Ah yes. This feel, rubbing his bare hardness on those abs…

“…F-fuck…” Ardyn moaned, rutting his hips against the younger man. 

“Yeah…” Gladiolus slid his hands underneath Ardyn’s ass, grabbing a nice fistful of the older man’s sturdy backside. He massaged the soft flesh there, riled up to know that Ardyn was out of his mind right now. 

Nipping little bites into Ardyn’s neck, Gladiolus pushed them both into the wall on the far side of the hotel room. It was so easy to manipulate Ardyn’s body—actually the older man was much lighter than anyone would think, and Gladiolus knew for himself how easy he was to lift. 

With the wall against his back, Ardyn grabbed both sides of Gladiolus’s face and kissed him with all his might. He felt pinned beneath the younger man’s ample body. Which he was, essentially. And there was absolutely nothing wrong with that. 

Ardyn glanced down where he felt Gladiolus’s thick length protruding into his stomach. Sure enough, that cock was as sturdy as he remembered. Not as long as Ignis’s, but thicker. Just as mouth-watering, when Ardyn thought about what that thing could do to him. 

He wrapped one hand around that burgeoning member, high off the sound of Gladiolus’s heavy grunt in his ear. 

“That what you want?” the Shield rumbled, voice vibrating in his chest and driving Ardyn wild. 

“Yes.” 

The older man wanted to be more eloquent, but that was more or less out of the question at this point. He bent his head downward, trailing his lips across the ink on Gladiolus’s chest. He found where that ink met the big man’s nipple, and he latched onto that little nub with lips intent on sucking. 

“Ah, shit…” Gladiolus groaned.

Ardyn moaned reciprocally, lavishing the other man’s nipple with his tongue. He could taste the ocean on Gladiolus’s body and it made him shiver with a need that came straight from his core. Knowing that he and Gladiolus had just shared an experience like that…Ardyn wanted to get on his knees for this man, to lick and suck him everywhere, but he couldn’t. Not when Gladiolus had his thick hands on his ass.

“Wait, stop…” Gladiolus pulled Ardyn’s head off his chest. “Hang on.” 

Ardyn’s (now aching) member throbbed painfully. He did not want to wait. He wanted this man to take him already, no more waiting around!

Swallowing around his dry throat, Gladiolus reached into his Armiger where he had stored the things from their beach trip. He pulled out the roll of condoms the store owner had given him for free. Ripping one off, he bit it open with the side of his teeth. (Luckily, this was actually the brand he liked to use: Astral Glide). 

Ardyn stared curiously at the small, circular sleeve of rubber. “That’s for…?”

Gladiolus frowned for a moment, still managing to be surprised that his lover had never had experience with condoms before. But, he supposed, when you were immortal these things did not cross your mind. Maybe that should worry him more than it did, but…eh.

Shaking his head, Gladiolus slid the condom (already lubed up from its package) onto his dick. “Watch,” he said thinly, somehow getting off on the slide of rubber against his dick, he was so turned on. 

“I…see…” Ardyn said slowly, running his fingers up the side of Gladiolus’s now protected cock. It was smooth and a little bit wet. He liked the way it felt. “But…why?” 

The bigger man shrugged one shoulder. He wasn’t embarrassed by this, not after so many years of having sex. Still, explaining it to someone who knew nothing about condoms was another thing…

“I…kinda cum a lot. So I usually use protection, even though we’re all clean in our group. It’s…a little easier on you that way.” 

Ardyn put two and two together. He nodded, grinning when he realized what was going on in Gladiolus’s mind. So, this little sleeve of rubber was designed to protect him? How thoughtful.

The older man wrapped his arms around Gladiolus’s neck. “Very kind of you,” he said, kissing up and down the other man’s cheek. “I’m beginning to understand the type of man you are…” 

And he was. Such kindness was something he had begun to expect from Gladiolus.

“Heh, well…” Gladiolus pressed Ardyn into the wall again. “I’m glad you like what you see.” 

With that, he gripped Ardyn’s leaking cock tightly. The older man hissed, bucking his hips into that hand. That powerful fist could engulf his whole cock and it felt splendid…even though Gladiolus’s fingers were not as precise as Ignis’s, the warmth and inherent strength behind them made Ardyn’s knees turn to jelly.

“I’m ready to go,” Gladiolus announced. He was more than ready, really. He did not feel the need to tell Ardyn the other purpose of wearing the condom…with some barrier between them, the sensation of being inside Ardyn would be a little less intense. He could last longer with a rubber on.

And he wanted to last a good long while for this one.

“Finally…” Ardyn moaned. He wondered where Gladiolus would decide to take him…but really anywhere would suffice at this point.

However, Gladiolus already had that figured out. “Hold on tight,” he murmured. Without question, Ardyn gripped the younger man’s shoulders tightly. He knew that Gladiolus was probably going to manhandle him and carry him somewhere…and the thought only made him want to squeal in delight.

Grabbing the back of both Ardyn’s thighs, Gladiolus hoisted Ardyn up. Just lifted him clear off the ground, leaning him against wall. On instinct, Ardyn hooked his ankles together behind Gladiolus’s back. From this angle, his weight was leveraged between Gladiolus’s strong arms and the wall…angled perfectly, legs spread apart…ready to take a dick. 

Oh. Ardyn felt weightless again, this time held aloft by the Shield’s unwavering grip. Gladiolus was going to fuck him just like this…! His toes curled in excitement. 

“All good?” Gladiolus asked, his warm face bearing down on Ardyn with anticipation. He looked totally fixated on the older man—Ardyn couldn’t be more pleased. Or more in need of a thick cock pressing his spread hole…

“Yes!” Ardyn dug his fingernails into Gladiolus’s inked shoulder. “Fuck me already, you insufferable man!”

Grunting a low chuckle, Gladiolus nodded in response. Settling Ardyn’s hips just above his cock, the Shield leaned forward, pressing himself into the former immortal. 

This ass…it was just as tight and unbearable as the Shield remembered. The lube from the condom was not quite enough and he had spent literally zero time preparing Ardyn, but…fuck. It felt good. One glance at Ardyn and he saw the way the older man’s eyes squeezed closed, his jaw slack and open. Clearly a look of surprised pleasure.

Yes yes yes…this cock…this was exactly what Ardyn had been craving! Gladiolus was sliding into him at a glacial pace. He could feel the young man pressing into every crevice of his entrance…but not _there_. Not yet. He wanted it _there_ …he knew it would make his mind turn to mush, but he wanted it.

“Mmm…damn it, you’re tight…how are you this tight after everything we’ve been doing to you?”

Ardyn’s lips quivered, feeling Gladiolus press into him harder. Every time the Shield pulled out, setting a painfully slow rhythm to help Ardyn adjust, the recoil was beyond amazing. Gravity kept pulling him down farther on Gladiolus’s cock. Like the earth wanted him to be fully seated on that dick. 

“So good…” Ardyn grunted, squeezing Gladiolus between his thighs.

“I know, I know,” the Shield muttered. “I’m gonna press you down all the way, alright?” 

“Yes!” Ardyn’s eyes opened, ravenous and searching. “Do it! Yes, all the way…”

He was turning into a babbling fool, Ardyn knew, but. He had been staring at that cock all day! He couldn’t wait much longer!

All Gladiolus needed to do was release some of Ardyn’s weight. The man’s own body did the rest of the work. He slid down until Gladiolus was buried in him, balls deep. 

“Ah, fuck!” Ardyn cried. His head slammed back, hitting the wall hard. He didn’t even feel it. The pleasure (and slight pain) of being stretched to his limit was making Ardyn’s limbs shake. He could feel where Gladiolus was just barely grazing his sweet spot and he wanted more…

Re-angling the older man, Gladiolus pulled out and thrust back in. This time, he hit the mark dead on. Ardyn shouted and felt his cock leak a copious amount of pre-cum. Shit, he was already close…

Gladiolus felt wetness against his stomach. He saw Ardyn’s dripping dick, the way the older man’s thighs were shaking uncontrollably. He knew that this guy was probably going to come soon. That fast? Shit. But…that was really hot.

The Shield grinned wickedly. Oh hell yeah. It was on. He knew exactly what he wanted to do. 

“I think you can come on just my cock. Whaddya think?” Gladiolus teased the flesh on Ardyn’s neck with his teeth, knowing it was a weak spot for the older man.

“Nnnh…” Ardyn held into Gladiolus for dear life. “I…don’t doubt it…” 

So, Gladiolus set a rough pace, hammering hard into Ardyn’s sweet spot. With each thrust, he could feel Ardyn squeezing him tighter and tighter, moaning higher and higher…

Ardyn knew he was about to come undone. He could feel it in every part of his body. The deep pleasure inside of him, filling him to the brim, and Gladiolus’s abs just barely grazing the tip of his dick—like being tickled with a feather right against his slit. Too much…!

Then, when he was within a hair’s breadth of coming, Gladiolus pulled out. He stopped, keeping Ardyn dancing dangerously on the brink. 

“…What…?” Ardyn choked out, feeling his orgasm fading away. He groaned in sore disappointment, more than ready to get off. He searched for Gladiolus’s eyes and found the younger man…grinning at him. 

Son of a bitch! Ardyn’s eyes flew open in shock. This man—this King’s Shield, charged with protecting the royal line no matter what, who had just taken him swimming in the ocean and teased him endlessly with his flawless body—was…edging him!

“Bastard…” Ardyn groaned, shifting on top of Gladiolus’s dick, desperate for some pressure against that spot inside him again. 

“Heh, that ain’t no way to ask…” Gladiolus murmured, picking up the pace again. 

“Mmm…!” Ardyn’s body melted in pleasure as he felt that cock rocking into him, right where he needed it. “Yes, Gladio, come on…just like that…” 

The Shield heard him and fucked him steadily. Once again, Ardyn’s thighs began trembling and contracting around him. This guy was way too easy, Gladiolus thought. He came so fast! Had no one ever thought of edging him before? It was almost impossible not to…unless you wanted the sex to be over in like ten seconds. 

Grunting wordlessly between clenched teeth, Ardyn tasted the last few moments before a climax. He could feel it building in his cock, just about to tear out of him, rend him asunder…

Gladiolus stilled his hips again. This time, he had to pull out all the way to keep Ardyn from coming. The guy was that close.

By the time Ardyn realized his orgasm had failed once again, he was already empty. 

“Motherfuc—ah!” Ardyn screamed, thrashing in Gladiolus’s arms. What the hell was this man playing at?!

Chuckling lightly, Gladiolus lined up his cock again. “What’s wrong, you don’t wanna play like this?” 

“Can you just…? Ah, you’re such a tease!” Ardyn grumbled, his strength dissolving bitterly. Still, he could not help smiling a little. Gladiolus knew this game well. Even if Ardyn did not love to play it, he had to respect its mastery. 

Gladiolus laughed throatily, plunging deep into Ardyn again. “Alright, alright. I get you. I’ll take you there this time, okay? Promise…” 

Ardyn leaned forward, slobbering against Gladiolus’s ear. “ _Please_ …” he keened. Well, he knew how to play a little bit, too. “Gladio, _please_ …I need it…” 

He smiled happily when he felt Gladiolus’s cock harden in his ass. Oh, so that was what this man liked. Splendid. Ardyn could work with that. 

“Ah! Help me, Gladio! Please, make me cum! I have to, ah…! Please!”

With those words of encouragement, Gladiolus fucked Ardyn senseless. He had no intention of stopping now—the game was over. Now he just wanted to give Ardyn everything, he wanted to turn this man into silly putty, to blow his fucking brains out…

“I’ll do it all, don’t you worry…” Gladiolus groaned, slamming his hips up into Ardyn. 

There! Ardyn’s body coiled tightly, feeling a fast, rough orgasm rising to the surface. He was already past the point of no return, he would probably come now even if Gladiolus pulled out again. He needed…it was right there for him…!

“Gladio, don’t stop…don’t stop don’t stopdon’tsto—” 

Gripping onto the Shield from the inside out, Ardyn climaxed. He ejaculated so roughly, spraying them both, with a force that took every ounce of energy within him. It was without a doubt one of the best orgasms of his adult life. 

When he was done, his body deflated in Gladiolus’s arms. The Shield moaned—but it was unclear if Gladiolus had come or not, what with the condom. Still, the young man gathered Ardyn up in his arms and lifted him from the wall. He carried him over to the bed, placing him down gently on his side. Cock still lodged within him.

Ardyn recognized soft blankets against his chest and face. He opened his eyes, realizing he was on the bed. And there Gladiolus, deftly bending his body in half. The Shield lined his hips up with Ardyn’s asshole, then threw one of Ardyn’s knees over his shoulder. 

“Still with me?” Gladiolus asked, making eye contact with the former immortal.

Ardyn nodded. He worked his throat back into a position to speak. “Yes, but…what are you…planning?”

“Hmm…let’s see…” There it was again, that wicked grin. Who the fuck was this man, so kind yet so cruel in the bedroom? And cruel in such a…beautiful way! 

Gladiolus ground his hips forward again, slamming straight into Ardyn as far as he could go. The older man saw white—this was more than just his sweet spot singing with pleasure, this was all of him. Gladiolus was fucking him to the core. Just like last time. 

“How about it?” the younger man asked, between thrusts. “You like being fucked right after you come?”

Ardyn honestly did not know. But the feel of white hot pleasure turning him inside out, well…that was enough of an answer. He nodded his head hard, almost giving himself whiplash he was so eager.

“Good, because I ain’t finished yet…” But he was about to be.

Gladiolus set a rough, steady rhythm. Fully aware of each other, at a place where they could enjoy each other to the maximum extent, Gladiolus just wanted to get off. He could already see that Ardyn was gone, could barely even hear what Gladiolus was saying anymore. That suited the Shield just fine. He wanted Ardyn to come again. He wanted him to come as many times as he could…to prove he was alive, that they all were…

Sure enough, Gladiolus pulled another harsh orgasm from Ardyn. The older man splattered the bedsheets with his cum, blacking out right at the point of his climax. Feeling his lover’s orgasm sent Gladiolus over the edge too. He came into the condom, as full of a load as ever. 

Slowly, minute by minute, Gladiolus came back down. He pulled out of Ardyn, very carefully, holding onto the edge of the condom to make sure it stayed intact. He tied off the rubber and discarded it, turning back to Ardyn to see if the man was alright.

“Hey…” Gladiolus pried, shaking Ardyn’s slack shoulders. “You okay?” 

“Mmm…” Ardyn replied, clearly only semi-conscious. But it seemed he was fine. Just high off a blissful orgasm. 

Gladiolus bent forward and kissed Ardyn’s cheek. “That was fucking great,” he whispered.“Thanks, man.” 

In his semi-sleep, Ardyn reached out, wrapping his arms awkwardly around Gladiolus’s head and pulling him closer.

“Umm…” the Shield began, pressed against the former immortal’s chest at an uncomfortable angle. But Ardyn had begun to snore softly. Asleep for real now, it seemed. 

Shaking his head (with affection, and no small amount of pride) Gladiolus went with it. He could pry his head out from underneath Ardyn’s arm if he wanted. But…he wasn’t in a huge hurry. Not just yet, anyway.

________________________________________________

 

When Ignis returned to the hotel room with an armful of groceries, he walked in on a naked Gladiolus toweling his hair dry. Next to an equally naked Ardyn, who lay slumbering under the bedcovers. 

“…Ah,” Ignis remarked, setting the groceries down to begin putting them away. 

“Hey, Igs,” Gladiolus greeted. He came up next to the bespectacled man, inspecting the groceries with interest. When Ignis turned around, Gladiolus wrapped an arm around the advisor’s waist and pulled him in for a kiss. 

Ignis sighed, returning the surprise kiss. He had not been expecting to come home to sex scene (although it looked like one that had finished a little while ago), but he was always more or less defenseless against Gladiolus’s sweet kisses. Besides, they were all taking turns on Ardyn at this point. And that made a fair amount of sense.

“Enjoy your afternoon?” Ignis asked, brushing some of Gladiolus’s wet hair out of the Shield’s eyes. He kissed the scar there affectionately. 

“Yup.” Gladiolus pointed his thumb in Ardyn’s direction. “Took this guy to beach. We went in the water for a little bit. Then came back here for some fun.” 

Ignis nodded his head in approval. That sounded really nice, actually. He was (just a tad) jealous that he had missed it. “I trust you took proper precautions?” 

“Yup. Sunscreen, the whole deal. Got it.” Gladiolus nodded, shaking out his wet hair.

Ignis’s eyes travelled over Ardyn’s sleeping figure. “Did you clean him up afterwards…?” 

At that, the Shield just shrugged. “We used protection.” 

Well, Ignis thought, it was better than nothing. He was glad that Gladiolus had thought even that far ahead. Besides, they weren’t at camp anymore. They needed to be careful not leave behind a mess for anyone else to clean up. 

And in all truth—one that Ignis would not readily admit—he had not done the same on the boat. So…well. The past was the past. Prompto had taken care to wash the sheets in Talcott’s room before they left Caem. So they were still relatively in the clear. On average. 

Still, Ignis thought it was hardly decent to let Ardyn sleep in a sex-stained, beach-ridden mess. He walked over to the slumbering man and tried to wake him. 

“Ardyn…” Ignis called, shaking him gently. “Let’s get up, for a moment…"

After about a minute of this, Ardyn blearily opened his eyes. He recognized Ignis and sat up in the bed, nodding at the advisor through a haze of tiredness. 

“Just want to get you cleaned up,” Ignis assured the older man, looking at him fondly. “Come with me…” 

Holding Ardyn’s shoulder and hand, Ignis led him to the washroom. In there, he sat Ardyn down on the edge of the tub, splashing water onto his naked body to get rid of any remnants of saltwater, suntan lotion, and cum. Ardyn was still mostly asleep, it seemed. He was very slow to waking up.

Just like Noctis, Ignis thought warmly. He smiled when he thought of that.

Ardyn let Ignis wash him without any fuss. He lifted his arms as asked, bending wherever Ignis indicated. Clearly, even when he was mostly unconscious, Ardyn trusted these men with his body. 

Running a wet washcloth over Ardyn’s abused asshole, Ignis tutted lightly. “I hope he wasn’t too rough with you…” he said absentmindedly, referring to Gladiolus. 

Hearing that, Ardyn smiled. He buried his head in the crook of Ignis’s shoulder. “Not at all,” the former chancellor murmured. “It was _exactly_ what I wanted. Even though he can’t fuck me as deep as you can…well, I’ve had my fair share of marvelous experiences these past few days, haven’t I?”

Ignis blushed, swallowing hard when he heard that. Ardyn was speaking incoherently. He would probably not be saying any of this had he been in his right mind. But still…Ignis thought back to his own personal time with Ardyn. How this man had taken him so readily…into the hot, wanting heat of his body…

Suddenly, Ignis felt lips on his neck. He gasped, looking down to see Ardyn nibbling the faded hickeys on Ignis’s neck—marks that Ardyn himself had put there barely a day before. 

…In truth, Ignis had been hyper-aware of those marks all day. More than a few people at the market spotted them on his neck, saying nothing but smiling knowingly. In turn, Ignis kept remembering little bits and pieces of his night with Ardyn. How Ardyn had so willingly sucked his cock, how he looked at Ignis with nothing but desire. The bespectacled man found himself coming up with reasons to adjust his collar throughout the day, just so he could surreptitiously graze those hickeys and remember…

Sex as good as that was not a common thing. Ignis knew that. Once you got to that point, well…it was more than sex. 

The advisor combed his fingers through Ardyn’s hair and thought. 

Well. He had known that they would be fucking Ardyn plenty throughout this journey. In fact, he had gone downstairs on the boat that night fully expecting to make love to Ardyn. But he had not expected it to be that…intense. Not expected to feel all this…affection for the man after the fact.

Even so…this had become their reality. Ignis was harboring quite a bit of feelings for this man. He remembered the way Ardyn had come apart on his dick when Ignis called him “Highness.” Watching that, well…Ignis felt his heart turn towards devotion for Ardyn after that.

The former immortal was, after all, still a member of the Lucian royal family. Someone Ignis had sworn to serve by proxy. Beyond that, Ignis’s true purpose was being Noctis’s advisor. He lived and breathed for Noctis, to be frank. And Ardyn was an extension of that in a lot of ways. The other side of Noctis’s prophecy, a piece of the prince’s fate. 

Ardyn fell soundly back asleep on Ignis’s shoulder. 

Wrapping a towel around Ardyn’s body, Ignis propped up the older man and hoisted him back to bed. He covered Ardyn in blankets, making sure the man was completely dried off before he let him sleep.

Gladiolus came up beside Ignis, wearing a pair of tight boxer briefs. He sat on the bed and wrapped his arms around Ignis’s waist.

“Yeah…” Gladiolus muttered, kissing Ignis’s cheek. “I know. It’s like that now, huh?”

“…Indeed.” Ignis pushed up his glasses.

“Well, don’t worry.” Gladiolus fluffed up the hair on the back of Ignis’s neck, a calming gesture. It worked well on his companion. “I think it’s supposed to be like this, you know? I mean, what else was gonna happen?” 

Ignis nodded slowly. “Perhaps you’re right, Gladio.” 

The thought had crossed his mind, after all. They were moving down what was essentially a natural progression. Even if they had not exactly planned this far ahead when they started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys like that Astral Glide pun? ;) ;) ;) I was pretty proud of it ngl. 
> 
> Planning on maybe three more chapters for this behemoth of a story. But I'm still not sure, so I'll leave it open for now!
> 
> Thanks for stopping by <3!


	7. Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To Cartanica!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me again! Caught swirling in the void somewhere between pure plot and pure porn. Hooray!

**Chapter 7: Friends**

They rolled out of Altissia about five days later. They spent that time getting everything in place before they set out on the final leg of the journey. Mostly, Gladiolus and Ignis worked hard to scrounge up the remaining few members of the Crownsguard and Kingsglaive. Cor was a big help in that department. He seemed reinvigorated with the hope of a new cause, promising the team that he could give them at least one hundred soldiers. The Immortal, they knew, would deliver. 

Prompto took it upon himself to reach out to Dave, who was able to give them the names and numbers of a few hunters who would be willing to fight against the Empire. That added a few dozen more able bodies to their regiment. It was exciting to think that even hunters (notorious in their indifference to politics) would be willing to fight the Empire. It seemed that the barricades and hordes of roaming MTs had disrupted life for the hunters enough for them to be legitimately pissed. Enough to take up arms. 

In the end, the amount of people they were able to amass was smaller than they thought—but Gladiolus kept saying that he wasn’t worried.

“We haven’t even made it to Tenebrae yet,” the Shield kept saying. “There’s bound to be more people there willing to fight for their freedom.”

“And Ravus will have his own group of insurgents waiting in Gralea,” Ignis reaffirmed. “We’ve done all we can.” 

Noctis insisted that Ardyn meet with Lunafreya at least one more time before they left. The former chancellor was not at all thrilled by the prospect—he had his fair share of Oracle nonsense in his day, and he did not believe a mouthpiece of the Astrals could offer him anything worthwhile at this point. But there was another matter to consider.

The prince himself had begun to look vaguely…troubled.

After meeting with Luna that first time, Noctis and Prompto returned to the hotel with a heavy burden: the Ring of Lucii. It seemed the Ring (which they assumed had been lost—not even Ardyn knew what became of it after the invasion of Insomnia) had been in Luna’s care this whole time. After explaining everything that had happened with Nyx Ulric, Luna proudly gave the Ring to Noctis, its rightful owner. 

That dark, surprisingly light piece of metal sat incongruously in Noctis palm for the group to gawk at. The four of them looked more or less entranced by the sight, for different reasons. Prompto because he could not believe something so old and powerful had been given to his best friend. Ignis and Gladio because they were so used to seeing it on Regis’s hand. Seeing Noctis hold it was a stark reminder of the fact that Regis was gone.

It must have been the same for Noctis. 

Ardyn, on the other hand, had no real interest in that Ring. As far as he was concerned, the Ring was a token of the Crystal’s grace. Which he had been denied in the past and therefore had no use for. Besides, the ability to commune with the Lucii, their kingly ancestors, was no special thing. Not really. Ardyn had a few choice words for that lot if they were ever to meet face to face—a diatribe he had spent some decades working on back in the day. 

(Needless to say, the phrase “Draconian cock-holster” came up more than once.)

Yet so many men coveted that ring. Which was entirely laughable. As if fate could be averted by will alone—Ravus’s lost arm was a testament to that. As was Nyx’s death. Ardyn found both of those losses to be in the range of mildly funny to hilarious. He wished he could have seen Nyx die. To watch that courageous King’s knight get his life sucked out by the very kings he was meant to protect. Ardyn would have liked to laugh at him while he died.

Even though…Ardyn entertained the thought, but he had to admit that the idea of death did not get him as excited as it once did. As an immortal, he took pleasure in watching plebeians perish for no good reason. It was funny. Nyx’s death would have been funny, no question there. 

But as a mortal? Well…Ardyn felt some small bit of attachment to life at this point. Not for any real reason. It would hardly matter if he died now—he had no grudges left to unleash on the world. However, his recent experiences with mortality had been…rather marvelous. Eating, sleeping, swimming. Bathing. Making love to some rather talented young men…these things were pleasant. Death, a premature end to these things, would be…unfortunate. Mildly. 

Ardyn did not have to make peace with the eventuality of his own death. He had accepted his demise from the very beginning—he had not lived for the sake of enjoying life as an immortal. Far from it. For him, it was rather the opposite. He needed to get accustomed to appreciating his own existence.

Perhaps…maybe if he saw Nyx Ulric perish in front of him now, maybe Ardyn would laugh (just a small fraction) less. Maybe a customary smirk, instead of a deep belly laugh. 

Or maybe not. Whatever. 

Noctis, though. This young man was the one in charge of wielding the Ring, yet he did not put it on right away. He just shrugged and kept the Ring in his pocket (obviously the safest place for it—Ardyn and the rest of the group made sure to keep two eyes out for that Ring, lest it wind up in a sewer grate somewhere). 

“No reason to ask for its power yet, right?” Noctis asked futilely, not making eye contact with any of them. “We’re doing fine on our own.”

The thing left unsaid there was the fact that Ring was meant to be worn—it was meant to be wielded, regardless of necessity. The Ring showed acceptance of the king’s responsibilities. Clearly, Ignis and Gladiolus were uncomfortable by the idea of putting the Ring aside, but they knew Noctis well enough not to bring it up too much. 

Because Noctis, it was clear, did not seem ready. He wore his trademark half-scowl now, full-time. As he used to. Sometimes, when he was not busy bartering deals with Camelia on the use of her ports as a go-between for Lucian and Niflheim forces, Noctis could be found staring at his closed fist. Bringing it up to his lips and staring across his knuckles as if deciphering something. 

His companions had no doubt that he was holding onto the Ring at these times. 

The three retainers whispered to each other when Noctis was out of earshot.

“What do we do?” 

“We let him withdraw for now. As we’ve always done when he needs time to think things over.”

“Exactly how much time are we giving him, here? When we reach Gralea, our warriors are going to need a king to lead them.”

Ignis’s eyes stayed neutral behind his glasses. “There are many days between now and Gralea, Gladio. We shall wait and find out.” 

Tensions were a little higher than usual. Ardyn hung back and observed, watching the four men work around each other when there was something stewing between them. 

He looked hard at Noctis’s hunched shoulders, his unconfident gait grown more bow-legged over the last few days. That boy, Ardyn realized, was used to solitude. His friends (well, lovers) were used to letting him be. 

“The king’s path is a lonely one…” Ardyn mused to himself. 

Well, that was certainly true. 

But Ardyn had never been lonely as a prince. He’d had so many friends growing up—a truly innumerable amount, to be sure. Walking through the royal city—and even beyond, in the places where Ardyn had taken up his healing work—was like walking through a sea of smiling faces. He said hello to people whose names he could not possibly keep in his head all at once. 

(Then later, of course, after his fall from grace…those faces had turned cruel. On a dime, as the expression went.) 

Noctis was the opposite. He did not have many friends—practically none, even. He only had those three retainers. But they were undoubtedly the most loyal friends one could imagine. Beyond self-sacrificing, they were the kind of people that wanted to share their lives with Noctis. In every way possible. 

A connection like that…Ardyn needed to work hard to get his head around it. He only managed to get that far because he had spent enough time with them to understand their intentions by now. They were in it together. For the long haul.

But solitude was unavoidable. Noctis needed to accept his father’s untimely death and his own responsibility all in one go. He needed to take his place among kings—people who must loom like giants in his mind. 

Ardyn knew better. Those kings were made great because history told stories in their favor. Not because there was anything inherently magnificent about them. And certainly—as far as the former immortal was concerned—Noctis was quite capable of standing in their ranks. 

Hell, the way Ardyn saw it, Noctis (his natural beauty, the way that he loved so quickly and so deeply, the way he had transformed everything about Ardyn, saving a life that was hardly worth saving and then refusing to abandon him) was better than any of them. 

With or without the Ring, it did not matter. Noctis’s value could not measured in kingliness. 

Of course, they were embarking on a quest to commune with the Crystal. The Crystal was the ultimate barometer of worth. Ardyn hated every inch of that thing. It made the weight of so-called kingliness hang heavily in the air around them, dragging Noctis’s shoulders down with it. 

Perhaps they should really reconsider the running away option, Ardyn thought. They had their lives, didn’t they? Why not…? 

…Maybe Ardyn could convince Noctis to abandon everything. To live for his own sake. At the very least, he wanted to convince Noctis to see the truth of the situation. 

Or…even just make him frown less. That pristine face looked so pitiful when the boy frowned. It was working Ardyn’s last nerve. 

So, on their last day in Altissia, Ardyn finally agreed to meet Lunafreya. If it would make Noctis stop pouting then for fuck’s sake. He might as well.

And, for a brief moment, Noctis did perk up a bit. He smiled at Ardyn in thanks, looking relieved. For some reason. But that bit of relief was felt around the group. All five of them rested easily in return. 

Lunafreya was waiting for them in one of the Secretary’s many studies. She greeted them both warmly, putting her hands on top of theirs in deep affection. Ardyn had to bite back the instinct to flinch. After all, those healing hands would probably have harmed him back when he was afflicted with the Scourge…

…Without a doubt, Ardyn had been planning on killing her here. If the Hydraen did not finish her off first. In his old plans, there was no need for an Oracle getting in the way, ruining his plans for a final showdown with Noctis over the world’s fate. 

Now, the three of them sat around a coffee table over tea. Well, things had changed.

“Thank you for meeting with me,” Luna began, bowing her head to Ardyn. “I know you take no pleasure in my company, but, I have some things to give you before you leave here. And some questions, if you don’t mind.” 

In total, Luna had two gifts for Ardyn. One was a scarf, made of thinly knitted Tenebraen wool. She explained that she had knitted it herself in the past month. “The material,” she assured him, “is optimal for people recovering from the Scourge. It’s versatile to keep you warm, but still breathes so you don’t get overheated. I’ve known people who are recovering to sometimes struggle readjusting…” 

“…Thank you.” Ardyn took the scarf, the silky material running through his fingers like some kind of liquid. 

Trash. It was complete trash. Ardyn would wait until no one was looking and throw it in the garbage. He had no use for pity-gifts and old shawls… Ridiculous.

The second gift Luna seemed almost loathe to part with. It was kept in a small pouch, what looked to be made of green velvet that had cracked over the years. Something very old, obviously. Luna held it in her hands delicately, clasping the pouch once as if saying goodbye. She carefully pulled the strings, reaching in like the thing inside was as fragile as spun glass. 

What she uncovered was a small, gnarled comb. It appeared to be made of some type of obsidian with a carved rose on the handle. The smooth ridges of the handle were worn down from being touched over and over again. Pieces of rock crumbled off around the teeth, even as Luna was holding it. Clearly as old as the pouch, if not even older.

Ardyn frowned when he saw that thing. He…recognized it. For a brief moment, he was almost afraid. His heart froze as he looked upon something he had not thought about in millennia—and now here it was, in front of his face. Plain as day.

He blinked several times, making sure that reality was not distorting around them. Trying to decide if this thing could be real. 

“This was one of my mother’s treasures,” Luna began. “She had many precious things like this, back before the invasion. When she…died…” The girl glanced to the side and swallowed, collecting herself. “…I managed to hide some of them from the Imperial soldiers. This comb was one of the things I kept. I hid it in this velvet pouch—not the one it was made with—for safe-keeping, because it’s probably worth quite a bit of money.” 

She looked up, making eye contact with Ardyn. Just by reading his face, Luna could tell this comb struck a chord with him. “My mother loved this comb dearly. She said it belonged to an ancient queen, a woman whose name is lost to history but who had a hand in shaping the fate of days long after her time. My mother guessed it is probably at least…two thousand years old.” 

Ardyn swallowed. He wanted to look away from the thing, but it was so…uncanny. Seeing that. Now. Here of all places. He could not take his eyes off it.

“Do you recognize it, sir?” Luna asked, holding the comb out to Ardyn.

Hesitating a few times, Ardyn took it. Eos on high, he even remembered the feel of this comb. So familiar in his hands…

Ancient memories bombarded him all at once. His mother. Sitting on a stool before her mirror and running this comb through her hair. It was hers, she used it every day. The comb laid sideways on her dresser, a fixture in her boudoir just like the rest of her jewelry and accouterments. How his sister had coveted this comb, begging their mother to let her hold it.

_“It’s not a toy…”_ His mother said. _“This is finery. You’ll inherit it when you’re grown.”_ And how his sister had pouted to hear that…

Finally, Ardyn closed his eyes. The sound of his mother’s voice in his ears, after all these years leaving her memories in a dusty corner of his mind to be forgotten…it was a lot. 

Noctis put his hand on Ardyn’s shoulder. “Guess you’ve seen it before, huh? Was it special?” 

Ardyn ran his thumb over the carved rose. “It…belonged to my mother,” he said finally, not sure why he felt a need to tell the truth. They probably wouldn’t believe him, anyway…

“Really? That’s amazing!” Noctis leaned forward, scrutinizing the comb and gently touching it with the tip of one finger. 

“Then I’d like you to keep it, sir,” Luna said, passing over the velvet pouch as well. “My mother collected things from the past, but I believe she would have seen this as fate. After all, you’re the rightful owner, are you not?”

Closing his hand around the comb, Ardyn nodded once. “I…suppose I should thank you…” 

Luna waved one hand to dismiss the thought. “I’m glad you have something of hers. And instead of thanking me…would you mind answering a few questions I have about the Empire?” 

Ardyn deposited the comb in his Armiger, fingering its presence inside him curiously. “What would you like to know?” 

And so, they spent the next few hours rehashing the events that had taken place a few days before the invasion. Ardyn explained everything about the meeting he had orchestrated between Niflheim and Lucis, the so-called peace treaty meeting. He explained that the idea of a wedding between Noctis and Lunafreya had originally been his own. For the simple reason that Ardyn wanted Noctis out of the city during the invasion, because the Empire would have surely killed him had he been there. But Ardyn intended to see the Prophecy through to the end, so he needed Noctis out of harm’s way. Thus, he had sold the marriage to Iedolas and Regis in kind.

Noctis and Luna shared a few significant looks when they heard that. 

“I think…” Noctis said slowly. “That Dad wanted the same thing. For me to be…out of the city when it happened. He knew what they were…planning….”

Then, Luna and Ardyn watched as Noctis looked away, hand clenched into a fist. “I just wish…he had told me before…so then I could have…” 

Noctis ground his teeth together. His fists shook. Anger, regret. More anger. Ardyn felt these things radiating off Noctis, hinting at some deep well of emotion the prince kept inside himself. 

“He did what he thought he needed to do,” Luna remarked. “You know that, Noct."

The prince sucked some breath between his teeth, blowing it out with a sigh. “…Yeah. I know.” 

Their conversation wrapped up on an awkward note. Noctis looked darkly pissed off, trying to hide it (poorly). When they finally bid farewell, Lunafreya made them both promise to be careful on their journey. They agreed to use Umbra as always.

The two childhood friends hugged at the door. In the corner of Ardyn’s eye, he saw Luna press a note into Noctis’s hand, bidding him not to read it yet by closing his hand around the paper. 

Luna then felt the need to wrap Ardyn in a loose (painfully uncomfortable) hug—which the former chancellor endured, if only because she had given him his mother’s old comb. 

Perhaps…he wouldn’t throw out the scarf, either. Maybe it would come in handy some day. At the very least, they might be able to sell it when they were low on cash.

Later that night, Ardyn watched Noctis read Luna’s note by himself, after everyone else had gone to sleep. The prince was sitting on the floor in a corner of the hotel room, reading by the light of his phone. He appeared to read the paper over several times before sighing and folding it up again. 

Alright…Ardyn would admit his curiosity was peaked. So, the older man got up to pretend to go to the bathroom, stepping over Noctis on his way to the toilet. When he finished, Noctis was still sitting there, staring hard at his clenched fist. 

Ardyn sat down next to him, crouched in the small space between the wall the bathroom door. They sat in each other’s company quietly for a few moments. The darkness of the room and the sounds of their companions sleeping settled around them. It would have been comfortable, had Noctis not been sitting at such a defensive angle.

“…So. What did the note say?” Ardyn was willing to make the first move. He honestly just wanted to put an end to that Oracle’s business. 

Noctis moved a little closer to the older man. Now their shoulders were touching. 

“She said that after this is over, she doesn’t want to go through with the wedding. She thought that it might have been set up because of something like…well, what you said. And that….well, she likes me, but she doesn’t think a marriage between us would make either of us happy.” 

Slowly, Noctis’s head sunk until he was resting his forehead on Ardyn’s shoulder.

“I mean…I agree,” the prince continued, making himself comfortable where he was. “She’s right. We’re good as friends, but I’m already…I’m already in a relationship. Obviously. She knows that too. I think she’s in love with someone else anyway, but I’m not sure who. I just…hope it’s not going to be a disappointment to the people who were like…expecting something, you know?"

Ardyn shook his head slowly. The tips of the prince’s fuzzy black hair were beginning to tickle the side of his face. A feeling he was getting used to, honestly. “Noct, you cured the Scourge. Isn’t that enough?” 

The silence lingered a beat longer. Then Noctis rubbed his face harder into the older man’s shoulder. “I…mean, yeah. Probably, right?” 

So these were some of the thoughts swirling around Noctis’s mind the past few days. 

Saying nothing, Ardyn let his hand trail up the younger man’s shoulder. He buried his fingers in the prince’s hair and rubbed small circles into his scalp. Their bodies seemed to melt a little closer to each other bit by bit.

Then Noctis let out a tiny, shuddering sigh. His core collapsed a bit with that, so he ended up practically laying in Ardyn’s lap. 

But the older man just let it happen. Sitting there with a lapful of prince somehow did not feel wrong. It was a little awkward—Ardyn did not know what to do with his hands. Should he put them both on Noctis? One around his waist? Just let the other one drop? It was clear this was not about sex. Noctis was leaning on Ardyn for…support. 

And Ardyn felt fine with that. Mostly. Even if he did not know what kind of meager support he could provide at this point.

No surprise, Noctis fell asleep quickly, but Ardyn took a little longer. He absorbed the feeling of a warm body leaning on him, of Noctis leaving himself open and vulnerable. It was…nice. Fragile, as if Ardyn was afraid Noctis might slip down and hurt himself somehow accidentally. But still. Nice. 

When the group woke up the next morning, they found the two sleeping together in a heap on the floor. Prompto did what they all wanted and snapped a quick photo to remember the moment. 

“If I had to put a title on it…” 

“Don’t push your luck, Prom. Alright, let’s get ’em up.” 

_______________________________________________________________

“Do we have to get these Royal Arms? I mean, still?” 

“What, you think bitchin’ about it is gonna change something?”

The five companions were sitting together in a cluster of seats abroad a train bound for Cartanica. This is where they would find the last Royal Arm, the Katana of the Warrior. Prompto brought up a good point; it had taken some deliberation before they decided that Noctis would still need to acquire the remaining Royal Arms. For a few reasons: One, they would be bound for a fight in the future when they arrived in Gralea and having extra ethereal magic weapons at their disposal couldn’t hurt. Two, they were going to commune with the Crystal anyway. Bearing the fruits of his kingly journey could only help Noctis with whatever he needed to do. And three, well…the katana was the last Royal Arm. Might as well.

So, they were headed for the tomb in Cartanica. Many hours on a train made Ardyn’s legs cramp up. He needed to go for frequent walks up and down the aisles to ease the ache in his knees and calf muscles—right, so this is what middle age felt like. …Ah.

Prompto kept him company, though. He showed Ardyn the collection of photos he had taken over their journey, making comments about each one. None of the photos were especially well-taken or interesting, but…Ardyn knew the sights (and of course, the faces). So it passed the time. 

When they finally arrived, they had to take an elevator down into the ruins. The rickety thing barely held the weight of five people. Then, when they settled in the marshy jungle where the tomb was hidden, they found themselves up against enemies for the first time together.

Ardyn had been slowly training himself to withstand more physical trials. It took a few workouts with Gladiolus…well, one, to be fair, was about all Ardyn could handle. Learning to move around without the effervescent power of daemons was an interesting challenge. Ardyn got more acquainted with his own Armiger again, and with his affinity for magic.

The moves came back to him with ease. They had always been there, after all. 

Of course, the other four men collectively paused when they saw Ardyn warp for the first time. 

Seeing that…Ignis could not deny the reciprocal surge of electricity coursing through his veins when he watched Ardyn use the magic granted him by his royal lineage. A rush of excitement and…well, other things. Things that were best left for after battle. And Ignis was not alone, obviously. They all felt the same thing. Gladiolus didn’t even try to disguise the way he adjusted himself in his pants. Prompto’s Adam’s apple bounced as he swallowed particularly hard. 

Noctis just stood there, slack-jawed. The clouds gathering on his face parted for a moment to reveal the impressed young man underneath. He looked younger all of a sudden.

“…Right. Well, then…” Ignis recovered first, straightening his glasses after staring at Ardyn for a good minute.

With the air cleared, they had a ton of questions. Why did the former immortal’s magic seem to burn red while Noctis’s burned purplish blue? How did Ardyn learn to cast spells so precisely—he somehow managed to hit a monster square in the eye with a blizzara spell. 

“What else…is in your Armiger?” Noctis asked finally, in a small voice. 

Ardyn was a little taken aback by their surprise. Seriously? Had they not seen this coming…? Well, he supposed it was one thing to know and another to actually witness. 

Besides, Noctis was looking at him with those round, curious eyes… Needing nothing else, Ardyn illuminated his Armiger to display all the weapons in each space inside of him. A sword, a dagger, a broadsword. The usual fanfare.

Still. Noctis ran his fingers through the white (actually, Ardyn’s light looked more silver than the pure gleaming whiteness of Noctis' and Regis’ light) projections. He held the glow in his hands for as long as he could until it faded. Something tingled inside of Ardyn to feel another person’s hands touching his Armiger’s conjuring—especially someone not Sworn to him.

But Ardyn did not…necessarily…dislike the feeling. He shivered, but he did not shy away. He stood there while Noctis fondled the outlines of his weapons.

Then the prince made eye contact with the former immortal, blue eyes brimming with some emotion Ardyn could not remember seeing on this young man’s face. 

A kind of longing. 

Without thinking, Ardyn grabbed Noctis’s hand and stroked the younger man’s wrist. The projected images disappeared around them. Noctis turned his face downward, hiding his eyes behind the fringe of his hair.

Sensing a tense moment, Ignis took a step forward and spoke in a soft voice. “Perhaps we should make camp for the night.” 

Prompto followed up easily. “Sounds good. I’m pretty beat after that long ass train ride.”

“Haven’s over there.” Gladiolus gestured to the nearby camping ground.

The prince nodded once in agreement. Wordlessly, they migrated towards the safe haven. Before moving, Noctis slid his hand up to meet Ardyn’s. He squeezed the older man tightly before dashing away to catch up with his friends.

Ardyn sighed. Noctis was working his way up to saying something. Probably. Or…maybe he would never get around to actually spitting it out. 

How did those other three deal with this moody king? Ardyn shook his head. He could still feel the soft sweep of Noctis’s fingers. Even that light touch—although it was clearly charged with an energy of mutual attraction—had made Ardyn’s blood start pumping. He wanted to lie down with Noctis when they got to camp. He wanted to undress Noctis bit by bit, then kiss every inch of the younger man he could find, until Noctis trembled with pleasure…

Grunting in unbidden arousal, Ardyn trudged through the swamp towards the camp. 

He spent the better part of the evening willing himself not to jump Noctis. Or anyone else, for that matter. When they were all sitting around the campfire like that, the sun setting, light fading to make them all look much more alone than they were…Ardyn would have gladly taken each one of them. 

One by one, altogether. He almost didn’t mind either way…After all, he knew what each of them felt like now. He’d already had them. And yes, his body hummed with the combined memories of all their experiences together…

Digging his fingers in his hair, Ardyn tried to collect himself. His cock had become so damn persistent. Unruly, even. How was a man supposed to live with such a wayward ‘son’? Would he be like this the rest of his life, constantly craving a cock in his ass…or in his mouth…? A warm body pressed against his…? 

Did everyone else in the world deal with these same things? Had Ardyn just forgotten about how desire controlled a living man’s thoughts, or was this…new? 

He honestly did not know.

They ate dinner in thick silence. Prompto tried to start conversation a few times, but he had no luck. Eventually, Ignis went over and sat by the blonde’s side. He rested a hand on the gunner’s knee in reassurance, but shook his head to indicate that it was hopeless. 

When the meal was finished, Prompto gave Ignis a quizzical look and walked off behind the tent. Ignis followed him after a moment.

Gladiolus stared hard at Noctis. Then he shifted his feet and rose into a standing position.

“You getting in on this?” the shield asked. Ardyn frowned, trying to remember if he missed a bit of conversation leading up to this. What was Gladiolus referring to, exactly?

But Noctis just shook his head softly. “Nah. You guys go ahead. I’m calling it an early night.” 

Gladiolus looked away for a moment, checking behind the tent. Then he turned back to Noctis, taking a deep breath. “Alright. But…might do you some good to get out of that head of yours. For all our sakes. You know?” 

“…Right.” 

There was a beat of harsh silence. Then Gladiolus shrugged and walked off behind the tent. Ardyn could hear Prompto greeting him with a quiet whisper, while Ignis murmured something about the shrubbery behind hard on someone’s knees. 

“You can join them if you want,” Noctis said to Ardyn suddenly, standing up. He opened the tent’s flap and offered, over his shoulder, “I’ll…be in here.” 

The former immortal blinked, finding himself alone around the campfire. 

….Wow. Decisions.

He had to admit, he was _very_ interested in what was going on behind the tent. He could hear some delightful sounds (what could only be lips meeting…something wet, probably) coming from over there. How amazing it would be to watch those three pawing at each other, perhaps going even further…Ardyn’s tongue traced his lips in eagerness.

But Noctis…

Well, Noctis had made it clear he was going to be alone over there in the tent. And there was that heated moment from earlier, their hands passing over each other with lingering want. As well as Noctis’s horrid attitude lately, his unfaltering anxiety about everything. 

Closing his eyes and standing, Ardyn realized his decision was already made. He opened the flap of the tent and followed Noctis inside, knowing he would regret it otherwise.

This little minx of a prince, ensnaring Arydn in his fits of temperament…

The tent was completely dark, surrounded by greenish shadows from the fire outside glowing against the nylon material. Save for one small light…sitting in the palm of the King of Lucis.

Noctis sat hunched over. He stared at the Ring of Lucii resting in his hand. The Ring was humming with anticipatory magic, lighting up around the nameless stone in the middle of the band. Ardyn could see the prince’s face illuminated and nothing else. Preparing himself for more of this kid’s needless agonizing, he sat down next to him.

“Why is it glowing like that…?” Noctis asked quietly after a time.

Ardyn fought the urge to roll his eyes. Hadn’t this boy learned anything about the Ring? “It senses its owner nearby and it’s reaching out to him. That’s you, by the way.” 

“Tch…” Noctis closed his hand over the Ring, snuffing out the light. “How do you know it’s not glowing because of you?” 

“Hmm…” Ardyn huffed a small laugh. “I seem to remember something about you being the Chosen One. Or, something along those lines…it sounds familiar, anyway.”

“Heh.” Noctis shrugged. “Who knows.” 

At that, the former immortal tilted his head curiously. What, Noctis would be willing to rebuke his duty now?

“I mean…a lot of stuff happened while I was…ugh.” Giving up before the end, the prince turned away, rubbing his face on the heel of his hand. 

“While you were what?” Ardyn prompted. 

“When I…didn’t know. I didn’t know the Empire was going to attack Insomnia and then…well, that’s what happened. Insomnia fell apart without me.” He huffed, closing his jaw a few times in anger. He continued, “I don’t even know if I have it in me to be a king at all—I mean I’m nothing like him…like my dad…”

Noctis sighed, then mumbled, “My dad would have made a better Chosen One than me. They all would have…” 

Ardyn could only assume ‘they’ meant the kings of Lucii. Those dull-eyed sycophants residing within the Beyond for centuries upon centuries, jerking each other off to stories of their own greatness…(yet another tidbit from his diatribe). 

“Noct.” The older man shifted until he was facing the prince. “The title is the title. It doesn’t have to mean anything. Not in the way you’re expecting.” 

Clicking his tongue in irritation, Noctis fell silent. The moment stretched on for a while. Eventually Ardyn lost patience with the darkness. He lit a small fire spell in his hand to illuminate the tent enough that he could see Noctis’s face. At first he saw only that scowl, then the prince’s face dissolved into wide-eyed surprise. 

Ah, yes. A display of his magic was enough to do this to the boy.

Noctis cupped the back of Ardyn’s hand in his own palm. He stared at the fire of that small spell in what looked like disbelief.

“Aren’t you, like…” Noctis flicked his eyes up to Ardyn, then looked away awkwardly. “…mad at me, or something? For…taking the legacy you wanted?” 

For a moment, Ardyn had to remember if he was or not. Of course, he caught himself quickly enough. “Well…yes, I’m afraid.” 

“So then…” Noctis looked up at him, their eyes meeting over the dancing flames. “Why are you still here?” 

Alright. It was a fair question. Ardyn needed to gather his reasoning into a whole thought (even though it felt like he was grasping at straws). In the end, he settled on reaching out to brush some of the hair from Noctis’s face. “My dear prince…don’t you know why?” 

He grinned at the boy leeringly. More for show than anything else.

Noctis nodded and shrugged one shoulder. “Yeah, but…is it just for _that_?” 

The close air inside the tent felt closer still with their shared breathing.

“…No.” 

Well, he had to admit it sometime, Ardyn realized. Now seemed like as good of a time as any. 

“…Then why are you…?” Noctis asked, bringing his face achingly close to Ardyn’s. 

Their lips were already almost touching. Ardyn just closed the distance between them. He took Noctis’s face in both hands (waving away the fire spell) and kissed the boy just hard enough to show that he was being serious. So serious. Even if the words would not come. 

It was uncanny the way their mouths slotted together so perfectly. Noctis’s small, tight lips molded themselves to Ardyn’s fuller, squishier face. Still, the match was perfect. They could feel each other so…exquisitely. 

Kissing Noctis…ah, yes. Ardyn had almost forgotten what this did to him. How this boy’s lips could erase all his other thoughts and make it so that everything beautiful and good in the world was narrowed down to one touch from that eager, slightly shy mouth. 

Noctis buried his fingers in Ardyn’s wavy crimson hair. He scratched a little harder than he meant to against the older man’s scalp, making the man moan curtly into their kiss. That small guttural sound amped up the need between them and Noctis leaned forward, straddling Ardyn’s waist. He settled himself into the older man’s lap, one leg on either side of him. Their bodies were flush against each other.

They kissed for hours. Days, years. Some amount of time. Ardyn could not accurately tell. He knew only that Noctis was kissing him back and that the world around them felt suspended in crystal. Light, easy crystal. Arousal boiled to fever pitch inside Ardyn. His whole body hardened and became erect, ready for whatever Noctis would give him.

The young man ran one hand underneath Ardyn’s shirt and the former immortal groaned as if he might come. Shit, those hands were cool on his skin. He could taste Noctis, could smell the mix of body wash (that sea breeze, fresh smell) and faint sweat that was synonymous with the prince. He made peace with the fact that he might come in his pants (after all, anything was possible at this point) and pulled Noctis’s shirt over his head. 

Naked to the waist…Noctis looked stunning. Even in the darkness, his pale skin glowed bright enough to see by. Ardyn licked the prince’s shoulder—probably the sexiest part of him—with obscene enjoyment. Then he moved to the young man’s collarbones and chest…no this was the sexiest part. Ah, every part of him made Ardyn more and more excited…

“Nnnh…” Noctis grabbed the older man’s head and pressed it to his chest. Ardyn needed to stop his movements suddenly, finding his head smushed. 

“Just so you know…” Noctis said rapidly. “I don’t want you to leave. I want you here, with all of us. I…want you to stay.” 

Ardyn forced his face up to look at Noctis. He smiled, feeling strangely and so completely relieved for a brief moment. Yes, of course part of him knew that Noctis wanted him there. It was obvious by now. They made it this far. But still…hearing the words…

The older man grabbed Noctis’s shoulders and made a quick, unvetted offer. “Noct, listen to me. If you don’t want to go to the Crystal, then…let’s not. I can show you how to live where no one will recognize you, where no one can find you. It’s an easy thing. I’ll take you. We can abandon this if you want…” 

Staring at him in honest shock, Noctis slowly shook his head. “No, but…why would you say that?” 

Ardyn felt like slapping himself in the face. Then he felt like screaming in rage. Didn’t Noctis understand? “You could be trapped in there. In the Beyond. It’s their world, the Astrals. They could keep you and I…”

Of course They could. It’s what was supposed to happen last time. But now, Ardyn did not want that. He hated the thought that Noctis would be trapped in there, without him, for however long…forever maybe. 

And Ardyn may not be able to wait for him now, as a mortal. Such a sickening thought.

“I…” Noctis glanced away. “But why would they…? If the Scourge—”  


“The Crystal’s will is absolute.” Ardyn stared at him. “It does what it wants. And honestly I…don’t know what will happen.” 

Noctis thought about this for a moment. He sat down, settled comfortably in the older man’s lap. Then, after a while, his face slowly hardened. In a way Ardyn had not seen before. He looked slightly older for a moment. Ardyn could not deny…that face was attractive as hell.

The prince squeezed Ardyn, wrapping his arms around his shoulders. “I…can’t run away, Ardyn. I’m not going to lie, I want to. Yeah. Part of me really wants to, but…I just can’t.” 

The former immortal sighed. Yes, he knew this was going to be his answer. Still, the sting of disappointment bit into him. He had thought for a moment it was possible.

“I’m sorry,” Noctis said, tightening his hand around the back of Ardyn’s head. “I wish…but I owe it to my father. I can’t just let Insomnia fall, abandon the kingdom. If I did, then…I could never face him again. After, you know.”

After the end.

“And I know that.” Noctis pulled away from Ardyn to reach into his pocket. He took out the Ring again, staring at its strange light with trembling hands. “But…I’m still scared. I’m so fucking scared, Ardyn. What if I’m not good enough? What if they don’t accept me? What if they do and I let everyone down anyway? I just…”

“Stop.” Ardyn placed the tips of his fingers against Noctis’s lips. “It’s not a question of being good enough, Noct. Your light…your light is the brightest I’ve seen in all my years. You understand? It’s not about measuring up. It’s about choosing. If you choose to wear the Ring, you will be a king beyond reckoning.” 

Whose cock I would love to suck, in all honesty. But he left that part out.

“Do not let those shadows of dead giants loom so tall.” Ardyn kissed the hollow of Noctis’s throat. “On your own, without help from the Astrals, you…are far greater.”

The prince swallowed against Ardyn’s mouth. The older man knew he was descending into the kind of territory where he was just full-on worshipping Noctis—that fucking lovely skin and scent—but he didn’t care. He needed the young man to know.

“And anyway, that’s not the point.” Ardyn licked a stripe up Noctis’s throat, enjoying the shiver it earned him. “All you need to do is decide. Once you choose to face Them, then…your beauty and everything you’ve done…for me…will stand for itself.” 

“Will that be enough?” Noctis asked seriously, biting his lip.

“Yes.” 

How foolish. Ardyn and Noctis were worried about the same yet opposite things. Noctis was worried about whether Crystal would accept him as worthy, while Ardyn was worried what would happen when the Crystal inevitably did. 

It would have been funny. In fact, it basically was. Ardyn smiled ruefully and shook his head, unable to believe how he had gotten himself to this point in his bizarre existence. Here, of all places. With him, of all people.

“Will you go with me?”

“Hmm?” Ardyn raised his head and saw Noctis looking back at him with shy eyes.

“Will you stay with me when I go to face the Crystal?” the young man asked. “Be by my side…?”

Ardyn nodded, giving himself over to Noctis with a smile on his face. “I will.” 

Then he reached down and picked up the Ring between two fingers. “Now then. Shall we?” 

It took a few seconds for Noctis to catch up. When he did, he smiled back at Ardyn sheepishly. Slowly, he held out his left hand to Ardyn, letting the older man slide the Ring onto his finger.

The light went out. Noctis gasped, his eyes turning harsh white for a moment. When the prince blinked again, his eyes turned the purplish color of his magic. Ardyn watched those eyes with calm, lascivious appreciation. Yes, the kid grew so fierce when he wore that wild expression…it was quite enticing. 

Shivering lightly, (a small whooshing sound echoing around them), Noctis returned to normal. He stared down at his knuckles in amazement, processing what it felt like to be imbued with the power of kings. As well as adjusting to the sight of such a hefty burden on his own hand. The small black band looked good on him, though.

It suited him.

A devilish thought struck the older man (who was surprised by none of the past few moments). He learned forward and whispered in Noctis’s ear, “My dear Noct. With this ring, I thee wed…” 

The prince slapped Ardyn’s shoulder, laughing softly. Mostly in relief. “Stop. Seriously this…feels weird.” 

“But I see you still have an arm and a body at your disposal. You were not smote where you’re sitting, at least.”

“…Yeah.” Noctis turned his fist around to observe it from all angles. “That’s a good sign, I guess.” 

“Quite. So, with that out of the way…” Ardyn took a few of Noctis’s fingers into his mouth. He licked them each thoroughly, rubbing the soft velvet of his tongue against those delicate fingertips. 

He delighted in the way Noctis’s whole body shook. How the prince positively whined as his fingers were sucked…

Ardyn let Noctis’s hand fall from his mouth. They stopped and grinned at each other. One glance downward in either direction told them that they were both just as hard as they had been moments before. Noctis, it seemed was even harder. (Understandable. Wearing the Ring of Lucii gave one’s…vitality a little boost. At least for the first decade or so.) 

They leaned into each other, coming together again for more kissing. Neither of them could seem to get enough. This time, they were a little rougher with each other. Noctis nipped Ardyn’s upper lip and Ardyn plunged his tongue deep inside Noctis’s mouth, as far back as he could reach. He wanted to _devour_ this boy…

Dear sweet Eos. Ardyn felt almost like a daemon again. These harsh wants…the need to consume, to ravish…apparently that’s just what happened when he was with the King of Lucis. Noctis, specifically.

This kid did things to him.

They scraped their hands and nails down each other’s bodies. Noctis pulled Ardyn’s shirt away. It was all rough need and impatience. The mutual temperature between them rose so high neither of them could think properly. Heat and a grating itch that yearned to be scratched. This was all either of them knew in those few moments.

Noctis plunged his hand in Ardyn’s pants, feeling around for the older man’s cock. When he found it, they both moaned out loud. Noctis gripped Ardyn tightly and twisted his fist from side to side, creating a new sensation of friction that made Ardyn’s body convulse for a few moments. 

This kid’s hands…his desire…how could Ardyn withstand such brutal things as that? He had to concede everything. Or else he would go complete insane!

Ardyn undid the front of Noctis’s pants. He began to salivate at the sight of this young man’s covered cock—the king’s dick, he reminded himself. The piece of flesh that had cured him. Oh, it was hard to forget that…this proud, sleek-looking cock plunging into him to chase away all the darkness. 

A moment of orgasm that ended a suffering of two thousand years.

These were the things that Ardyn equated with Noctis’s dick. Hands shaking from want, he fished that dick out of the younger man’s boxers, exposing it to air at last! 

“Ah….”Ardyn could not hold back a needy sigh when he saw it. So many things he wanted to do… 

Would Noctis fuck him on this cock again? Fine, Ardyn would let him (“let…” as if his body was open to giving him a choice in the matter. Ardyn was fairly certain his knees would bend on their own by now. His ass would present itself, ready to take Noctis’s cock as deep as it could go, searching for that deep pleasure of being fucked just so…that was the reality). 

Or…would Noctis lay down and let Ardyn have his way? That…was a very, very compelling thought. Ardyn wished he was not quite so unbearably aroused at the moment, because he wanted to take his time with Noctis. If he was going to fuck the king, then he wanted to thoroughly and completely fuck him until Noctis could not even remember his own name. Until the king was a shivering, speechless mess. 

Yes, yes. Everything. Ardyn wanted to do all the things in the world, and more. 

Noctis watched Ardyn’s face carefully. The king seemed to know (intimately) everything going on inside the older man’s mind. He smirked and shook his head.

“No time.” 

It was the only explanation Noctis gave before dragging his cock up against Ardyn’s. Their hips moved automatically, setting up a rough pace for their slick members to rub all over each other. 

…Why did it feel so good? This? This was nothing. Ardyn probably could have masturbated better than this—no, he was certain he could. But, still. This was Noctis’s dick touching his. Every moment his engorged flesh brushed the feverish skin of that boy’s hard-on, Ardyn thought his brain might melt. 

They were feeling the same things. They both knew that. Everything they felt was mirrored in each other. That kind of synchronicity was…so intimate.

It made Ardyn feel for a moment like they were one person. When he wrapped his large hand around both their cocks, he forgot that they were in fact two separate people. 

“Wait, let’s try…” Noctis pushed Ardyn’s hand away, making the older man hiss in frustration.

But he soon understood. Noctis slid his left hand over both their lengths—the hand that wore the Ring. A bit of the Lucian magic tainted that stroke, whether intentionally or not. Like flicking water into a pot of boiling oil, sizzling pleasure flared up in tiny bursts inside them. Their cocks were at once cold and then hot. A curious mix of sensation that neither of them could stand. They lurched forward, collapsing in on each other.

Managing to stay in a sitting position, Noctis wrapped his thin hand around both of their dicks, stroking as hard and as fast as he could.

“I…” the prince breathed, struggling. “I want us to come…together…at the same time…!” 

Ardyn nodded, grinding his hips up in time with Noctis’s strokes. He wanted the exact same thing.

Panting into each other’s mouths, they reached their climax. Just as they wanted, together. A burning, desperate kind of orgasm that came from primal instinct alone. It knocked the breath out of them and they fell on the ground, onto their sides. Naturally, they were splattered in cum by the end of it. But at least they could say they had ruined each other.

Limbs tingling, they took deep breaths and slowly came down.

“Why…” Noctis breathed, wiping some of his own cum from Ardyn’s face. “…is it… _so_ fucking good with you?”

Ardyn smiled, shaking his head. He worried briefly about his heart. He felt it racing. Was his old man’s heart even able to take orgasms like that…? 

“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. He really had no idea. 

But they were kindred. They were bound together by some otherworldly force, the Crystal. Perhaps that had something to do with it. Or maybe they were just…really fucking attracted to one another.

Who could say.

Holding their arms in place around each other’s bodies, they let the time pass. The ground was cool against their overheated flesh. The night (despite being an actual jungle) was calm outside. It was peaceful. 

They might have fallen asleep like that, but then they heard a deep-throated groan from somewhere outside. 

Noctis sat up straight. He glanced over to the back of the tent, where the sound had come from—then he seemed to remember. 

He broke into a smile. Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto were still outside behind the tent. Doing…well, it was fairly obviously what they were doing. 

Noctis used his old shirt to wipe away the cum stains on his chest. He passed the shirt to Ardyn and the older man did the same. 

But Noctis was grinning at Ardyn with a look of pure, child-like excitement. “Hey, wanna see Specs get off?” He stood up and gestured for Ardyn to follow him.

At that, Ardyn stood up as well. “…Yes.” Not really a question there (sure, he had seen Ignis climax before, but it was worth seeing over and over again. As many times as possible).

So, Noctis opened the back flap of the tent, giving them both a perfect view of the scene behind the tent. It was not at all a disappointment. 

Three bodies sat on the ground. Practically lined up. Prompto was laying on his stomach. His shirt was off and his head was pressed between Ignis’s bare legs. Ignis was still wearing his button down shirt, but the collar and buttons were undone. Sloppily at that, leaving flashes of the advisors pale, beautiful flesh exposed. Gladiolus sat behind Ignis, one hand wrapped around the slim man’s arm to keep him upright. The other hand was hidden somewhere behind Ignis, the Shield’s wrist rocking back and forth.

“My, my…” Ardyn breathed, already feeling himself harden again. “Such a lovely sight…”

And it was. Lewd, debauched, yes. But so lovely. Ignis sandwiched between Prompto and Gladiolus, getting what appeared to be a sensational blowjob from Prompto while Gladiolus fucked Ignis on his fingers. It couldn’t be…had the Shield managed to use his whole fist? Ardyn craned his neck to see. 

They all turned to Ardyn and Noctis when they heard the comment. Ignis’s eyes were hazy and unfocused, clearly fogged over with too much pleasure. He tried to look at them head on but he could barely keep his eyes open. One of his gloved hands was buried in Prompto’s hair and the other was tangled behind him in Gladiolus’s slick mullet. Prompto could do little more than flick his eyes in their direction and make a muffled sound by way of greeting. 

Gladiolus regarded them both with a smirk. “Yup, Iggy’s having the time of his life over here.” He saw where Ardyn was looking and propped Ignis up a little farther, angling the advisor’s body so Ardyn could watch Gladiolus’s fingers disappearing inside of him.

Oh, four fingers. Not a full fist—which would have been outrageous, considering Gladio’s size. But _still_. Ardyn watched in fascination as Gladiolus finger fucked their advisor. (Ignis himself made a muffled sound of disapproval, but it was hard to discern over the long running groans of pleasure that kept tumbling from his lips.)

Noctis stood watching over all of them with a look of deep satisfaction. 

“Remarkable…” Ardyn breathed, looking over Ignis’s shoulder to where Prompto lay, deep-throating Ignis. “How…are you able to take all of him, my dear? Our precious advisor is no small man…” 

“Heh, Prompto’s a master cocksucker,” Gladiolus quipped, driving his fingers harder into Ignis, who moaned louder as a result. “Don’t you know that by now?”

From where he lay, Prompto raised up one thumb in agreement.

Ardyn’s eyes went wide. He shook his head, bemused. “Amazing. Prompto, you’re gulping down every inch of him…”

With the added stimulation of Ardyn’s commentary, Ignis thrust his hips up into Prompto’s waiting mouth. The former immortal watched Ignis’s spread hole clench around Gladiolus’s fingers.

“Yeah, I feel that…” Gladiolus rumbled into Ignis’s ear. “You getting close, Igs?” 

The advisor nodded quickly, his whole body beginning to shake. Obscene wet sounds came from between his legs where Prompto was at work. Four pairs of eyes watched closely, waiting with bated breath as Ignis’s head snapped back, his chest and legs convulsing as he cried his pleasure into the night. 

Presumably, that was a very satisfying orgasm. If the way Ignis fell in a puddle against Gladiolus was any indication.

Swallowing hard, Prompto slid Ignis out of his mouth and sat up. “Hey guys,” he said to the two who had just joined. His voice was a little hoarse. Understandably. “You okay?” 

Noctis smiled back—the first legitimate smile he had given them in days. It felt like the sun had come up early, at least as far as his companions were concerned. “Yup, we’re fine.” 

Suddenly Ignis shouted brokenly, more of a startled exclamation than anything. They all turned to him in surprise. 

“What, you come up with a new recipe?” Prompto asked, tilting his head to one side in amusement.

Ignis shook his head. He was still laying in Gladiolus’s arms, apparently without the energy to move. So instead, he just pointed towards Noctis, gesturing vaguely in the direction of Noctis’s arm. 

“Oh!” Prompto cried, realizing what Ignis was pointing at. “You’re wearing the Ring!” 

Gladiolus leaned in to get a better look, while their advisor just nodded in confirmation. The Shied glanced back at Noctis. He seemed more confused than anything at first, but his face slowly relaxed into gentle understanding. Those expressive chestnut eyes of his. Ardyn could tell that the Shield was at once proud of Noctis and, in some way, deferential to him. As if seeing that Ring on Noctis’s hand was a sign that Gladiolus would obey his every command. 

Such was the culture surrounding royalty and the Ring. 

“That’s great, man!” Prompto exclaimed, wrapping an arm around Noctis’s shoulders in a quasi-hug. “How…does it feel…?”

Noctis seemed grateful for the hug. But he stared at the Ring and shrugged. “Weird. I just need to…get used to it, I guess.”

“You will,” Gladiolus affirmed, sitting Ignis up. 

“And…” Ignis adjusted himself shakily, trying to put himself back together. “…Do let us know of any discomfort, alright? You may need to spend some time with it on and off for a while, to acclimate.” 

Ardyn fought down a smile. They were all so loving towards Noctis. So…familial. Ardyn knew that Noctis would be just fine. The Ring sat upon the hand of its wielder without much of a fuss until it started draining your strength to sustain an output of magical energy…

But hopefully, in Noctis’s case, that would not be for a long while. If ever. That is, if things went the way the five of them sorely hoped they would.

Wait. That meant….fuck. 

Everyone around him was starting to get into their nighttime ablution routines, getting ready for bed. Ardyn realized, with everyone moving around him making plans for the next day, that he had thrown his lot in completely with this group. His fate was tied to theirs now. Whatever happened to them, even if he alone survived the attack against the Empire and whatnot, it mattered.

Because Ardyn would…care now. 

How frightening. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't seem to find a way to cut these chapters down in size. They just become these long things that go on forever...at any rate, I hope this story has managed to stay readable!
> 
> Thanks for everything, guys <3! Stay tuned for more.


	8. Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To Zegnatus Keep!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another smut-free chapter! Next one will be too, fair warning. 
> 
> We're coming to the end of all the plot-related chapters. So that's what that is :)

**Chapter 8: Future**

Tenebrae was burning. They could smell the smoke miles away—it caused the train they took from Cartanica to stop right in the middle of the tracks, and they were forced to walk the rest of the distance.

The Empire was proceeding with their attacks. As expected, really. But still…Tenebrae was literally _on fire._ Trees and structures crumbled around them, people fleeing from all areas as they tried to escape the wreckage.

Noctis watched as the idyllic sanctuary from his childhood went up in smoke. 

“We have to help!” cried Ignis, clapping Gladiolus on the back to rally him. “Quickly!” 

“Come on!” Prompto grabbed Noctis by the hand, pulling his friend away from some falling debris. He yanked Ardyn’s elbow as well, awkwardly pulling the older man along. 

So, the five of them spent a long, harrowing day trying to put out Tenebrae. There was not much that could be done, even when Noctis and Ardyn combined their most powerful blizzaga spells just to quell the most devastating flames. The damage had already been done. From there, the most important thing was to try and save as many human lives as possible.

Ignis and Gladiolus moved together so fluidly. Prompto as well, took to triage like a natural. Dozens of people owed their lives to those three. Noctis spent most of his time hurling ice spells every which way, using up the remainder of their magic flasks and elemancy materials. The prince, for one, was determined to keep as much of his former shelter intact as possible. 

Ardyn helped Noctis however he could. He warped to and fro, ferrying people out of harm’s way. He had not given any thought to this, they jumped into action so quickly. And if the other four were doing this then…well, helping seemed the natural response. He did not need to care for these people, he just needed to stop them from dying. 

Because untimely death was…well, if it could be avoided that was for the best.

Even if this kind of work was exhausting. Utterly so! Ardyn hoped these people were grateful for all the energy he spent assisting them…

Noctis found two young children cowering underneath a fallen tree. He gestured to Ardyn to get them out of the way before he cast another spell. So, Ardyn scooped them both up—they were small enough to hold one in each arm—and warped a safe distance away. The former immortal laid the two children down near a group of medics, turning away immediately to return to Noctis.

But the girl in his arms refused to let go. She clung to his shirt sleeves, howling incessantly, tears and snot streaming down her face. The boy (noticeably younger, it seemed) wrapped his arms around her middle and buried his face in her (his sister’s? They shared very similar looks) stomach. Effectively doubling their weight. Ardyn halted in his tracks—against his will. 

“Please, mister!” wailed the girl. She was a tiny, strawberry blonde thing with freckles. “Don’t leave us! You’re strong, help us! Please!”

Ardyn tried to tug his sleeves from her grasp. He did not have time to waste on this kind of nonsense! Noctis might need him…but these two kids were dragging him down by his wrists like two dead weights.

The boy sobbed hard, looking up at Ardyn in anguish. Between tears, he managed to scream, “I don’ wanna die!!” 

At that, Ardyn stopped. He blinked and saw an image from earlier in his life: A young boy afflicted with Scourge, face a rotting mess, wailing in Ardyn’s arms that he did not want to become a daemon. As the prophesied Healer of the people, Ardyn had taken that boy in his arms, hushed him into silence and cured him. With one sweep of his hand he goaded the daemons out of the boy and guided them (silently, but not painlessly) into his own body. 

That sensation. Fusing with a daemon. Like guzzling cold sludge that hacked away at his insides…Ardyn had learned to get used to that feeling. Afterwards, seeing the look on the young boy’s face—a face returned to normal, bright and smiling—made it all worthwhile. 

(Until…)

Opening his eyes again, Ardyn looked down at the pair of crying children in front of him. Well, if experience had taught him anything, it was that children did not go away unless you either listened to them or scared the crap out of them. And Ardyn just didn’t think he could work up the nerve to be scarier then the forest collapsing all around them at the moment.

So, Ardyn heaved a put-upon sigh. Then he got down on his knees and looked them both in the eyes. 

“Easy now,” he said, opening his arms so that they could wiggle closer to him (as he knew they wanted to do—basically just using him as a shield). And, sure enough, they immediately pressed themselves in close. “You’ll be safe here.”

From this angle, Ardyn could see that the boy was actually severely burned across his neck and chest. Probably too scared to even realize it, adrenaline numbing the pain. 

Ardyn reached into his pocket and took out a hi-potion. “Your brother is badly hurt,” Ardyn explained to the girl as he poured the potion over the boy’s throat. “He needs those medics over there. They can help you two better than I can.” 

The girl’s eyes widened as she watched the yellow light twinkling around her brother. “Did you fix him…?” (Had she never seen the effects of a potion before? It was possible she hadn’t. These kinds of curing items were a Lucian wonder, after all.) 

Forgetting to cry, the boy stared at his own sparkling skin. “Wow…” he glanced up at his sister. “Doesn’t hurt…!” 

They both slowly broke out into wide smiles. Then they turned back to Ardyn and glommed onto him with two simultaneous hugs around his neck.

“Thank you, mister! He’s all better!” 

“Yay! Thanks, Uncle Good Guy!” 

Uncle…? Ardyn groaned in frustration, trying to pull away from their vice-like grip so he could breathe a little better. He struggled to his feet, regarding them both with dwindling patience.

“I’m not—…ugh. Let’s go.” He wasn’t sure which part of their new pet name he was about to dispute, but he quickly realized there was no point. Once a child made up its mind… Better to just deposit them somewhere else. Away from him.

So, Ardyn trudged over to the medic station with two sets of little arms wrapped around his waist. When he got there, the emergency workers immediately honed in on the children. They inspected the boy’s neck—the wound was mostly healed but it would need some careful attention because it was in such a precarious spot. They quickly started ushering the children away.

The two looked back at Ardyn, eyes wide, hands outstretched to him. Clearly uncomfortable leaving him.

“It’s alright,” Ardyn tried to assure them, already turning away. “You’re fine here. Let them help you.” 

The boy’s eyes filled with tears again and the girl’s lip trembled. They were digging their heels in, refusing to be led.

Ardyn sighed once more with extreme patience. “I’ll come back later to check on you.” 

“…Promise?” the girl asked, fixing the crimson haired man with an intense stare. A kind of pure scrutiny, searching for loyalty.

Dear Eos, this girl could glare daggers. “…Yes,” Ardyn finally conceded. Then he turned on his heels and left them, telling himself they would forget about him as soon as he left their sight. He needn’t spend another second wasting his time over here…

…But he glanced back after a few moments, anyway. Just to make sure. Indeed, the children had given in and were now being treated by the professionals. They would be fine. 

Finally. Ardyn shuddered, forcing back all the unpleasant memories and the feeling of grubby hands pawing at his clothes and neck. Now he could go back to helping Noctis. From here on out he would not let anyone latch onto him like that. He would drop them from high above if necessary. No more hindrances!

(Ardyn still made note of the clinic’s location. For future reference, in case he needed to bring more people there. …Certainly.)

__________________________________________________

Late into the night, the five of them laid together at a makeshift campsite. Worn, tired, outfitted with small injuries. Prompto had a scrape above his eye, Ignis had sustained a moderate burn on his left hand, and Gladiolus was bruised in many spots. Noctis faded in and out of consciousness, having thoroughly exhausted himself using all that magic. Ardyn’s limbs felt heavy. He knew it would take probably a day or two before he could move around normally again. 

These weary mortal bones…

They did not make too much conversation with each other. It was enough to know that they had done all they could and that they had all come out relatively unharmed. Prompto laid his head in Ardyn’s lap, a quiet signal that they were all ready for sleep.

“Well, well. If it isn’t Sleeping Beauty. As I live and breathe.” 

Five sets of eyes turned together—Aranea Highwind. She stood before them in full uniform, her trademark dragoon helmet tucked under one arm. Her two cohorts trailed behind her, as always. 

They struggled to their feet to give her a proper greeting. Noctis still seemed very out of it, but he nodded to her all the same, looking somewhat relieved to find another capable person in the midst of all the chaos.

“Don’t get up on my account,” Aranea assured them, waving them back down. She sat cross-legged next to Prompto and Ardyn. “Might as well get some shut-eye while you can.” 

Ignis immediately peppered her with questions. “Have you been in contact with Ravus? Has he told you anything about our next moves? When are you traveling to Zegnatus—”

Aranea clicked her teeth in annoyance. “Easy there, glasses guy. One thing at a time. Yes, I’m working with Ravus in this half-cocked plan to overthrow the Empire. Biggs and Wedge and I managed to highjack a train so we’re using that to travel to Zegnatus Keep tomorrow.”

“How have you been keeping in touch with the High Commander?” Ignis asked, moving closer to her so they could speak quietly and let Noctis sleep (though there was probably very little that would wake him at this point). 

Aranea rubbed her forehead. For a moment she looked truly exhausted as well. “We use these little communication devices. I don’t know if you’ve heard of them, they’re called cell phones? Yeah. He calls me. I talk to him. Sometimes I call him. It’s like that.”

“…I see.” Ignis blinked, turning stiff at the sarcasm. “A private line, I’m assuming?”

“Beats me. I don’t know how all this shit works.” Aranea produced a black cell phone from her side holster. She unlocked the screen and passed it to Ignis. “Take a look if you want. You can even call him if it’s bothering you so much.” 

Ignis took the cell phone carefully in both hands. “…Don’t mind if I do.” He rummaged through the phone’s contents.

The dragoon commander sighed and ran her eyes over the rest of the group. She landed on Ardyn and stared at him coldly for a few tense moments. Not particularly interested in a staring contest, Ardyn just blinked and leaned back against a tree. He remembered this woman, a warrior whose loyalty rested on the promise of a good salary. Honestly, he liked her. People with clear motives were the best to work with. 

That didn’t mean he trusted her even a little. Which was fine, she didn’t trust him either. They were operating under a mutual kind of distrust while managing to be civil to each other in the workplace. Simple.

Aranea sighed and shook her head. “Ravus told me that you were traveling with them…” she said to Ardyn. “But I guess…maybe I didn’t believe him until now.” 

“Mmm.” Ardyn essentially ignored her and glanced back at Prompto who was falling asleep where he sat. He gestured for the blonde to come lean on his shoulder, which Prompto did without hesitation. In moments, the young man was asleep.

Aranea crossed her arms over her chest, watching the scene. “Guess I might as well ask. Are you planning on betraying us once we get to Zegnatus?” 

Ardyn inspected the cut on Prompto’s forehead. It was surprisingly deep. Why hadn’t Prompto said anything? The former immortal lathered his fingers with a potion and applied some to the wound—Prompto did not so much as stir. 

“…No,” Ardyn replied absentmindedly to Aranea. 

“And I know that because…?” She seemed unmoved by his gesture of affection towards the MT. 

Ardyn buried his fingers in Prompto’s hair, gently massaging the boy’s scalp. The cut was looking much better now. At least it wouldn’t get infected. (Prompto needed to be more forthcoming in the future, especially if they were all expected to go to battle together…Ardyn would alert Ignis in the morning and have the advisor chew Prompto out properly.) Satisfied, Ardyn leaned back against the tree and closed his eyes. “I suppose you don’t.”

Really. What was the point in all this talk? Why not just wait for the battle and then they could see everyone’s intentions plain as day?

Aranea nodded slowly. “…Fair enough.” It seemed she understood the pointlessness herself. 

Ignis was already on the phone, having a muffled conversation with someone on the other end. Their conversation lasted a while. By the time it finished, Ardyn was already mostly asleep. 

“It’s all arranged,” Ignis announced, handing the phone back to Aranea. “We’ll join forces the day after tomorrow, in front of the Keep.” 

“Cool.” Aranea sighed again, settling in on the ground to get some short-lived rest. “I’ll say this…” she continued, closing her eyes for the night. “If that guy over there really is on our side, we might just have a shot at this.” 

Ignis smiled thinly, laying down against Gladiolus’s legs. “Then our prospects are good.”

__________________________________________________________

The following morning, the ever-growing group caught each other up on everything that had happened the night before. Ignis informed them that Ravus had gathered his forces and was waiting for them in Zegnatus. He also said that the remaining Crownsguard and Kingslgaive warriors, as well as the hunters from Lucis, had arrived and were waiting for the call.

It would not be a last stand—because they would probably have more chances even if this failed—but it would be the first stand. The first true uprising of the people.

And, Aranea said, the Empire’s rule was spiraling out of control. The MT army was scattered, perhaps a fraction of the size it had once been. With the cure of the Scourge, many daemons had simply vanished with the Dawn. Those few monsters that remained were not at all an intimidating force. Beyond that, the numbers of daemons would not increase any time soon (if ever) now that people were not falling victim to the Scourge. 

The Empire was as weak as it would ever be.

Noctis listened to all of this, nodding and thanking Aranea for everything. But he was looking hard at his knuckles, staring at the Ring. The only missing piece in the rebel rhetoric—in the idea that they truly could overthrow the Empire—was the Crystal. Noctis would need to commune with the Crystal to Ascend properly to the throne and unite the people under one king. 

If the Crystal did not find Noctis worthy…well, Ardyn wasn't worried about that. But if the Crystal rejected him then the people would most likely be too divided to continue working together. 

The question was…what would the Crystal make of Noctis? Would it trap Noctis in the Beyond, forcing him to wait until he was “worthy enough”? Would it decide that Noctis needed to die to fulfill the prophecy, as it was? Would it decide that the people in general no longer needed power from the Crystal and revoke the magic inherent in the Lucian line?

The possibilities were endless. Ardyn considered each one that came to mind—each theoretical outcome when they faced the Crystal—and tried to think how likely it was. Really, he had no idea. 

That was the worst fucking part. Ardyn was incredibly loathe to rely on that decrepit rock after so, so many years. In a lot of ways, he kept thinking that he might just try to fight. 

Fight back. It was something he had not considered during the time of his own Ascension…Ardyn grimaced as the word (just the word “ascension”) crossed his thoughts in that context. The Ascension. The make-or-break moment of any king—the one that, for Ardyn, had certainly been his downfall. 

And now it was time for Noctis’s Ascension. 

He wasn’t sure what made him angrier—the thought that Noctis would Ascend without incident or the thought that the Crystal would ruin another life. Noctis’s, no less. 

Centuries old hatred boiled in his veins. 

…Could he fight the Draconian? With a reasonable chance of success, anyway? 

He could try. 

Aranea’s highjacked train would take them all to the capital. Not just Noctis and his companions, either—all the citizens of Tenebrae who had been stirred into the battling spirit. A good hundred more people. Gladiolus was beyond proud of the people of Tenebrae, feeling a deep sense of brotherhood with each person who decided to take up arms. 

Of course, the unexpected imperial attack on Tenebrae helped matters. Poor timing on the Empire’s part.

So, they boarded the train bound for Zegnatus. Ardyn grew increasingly quiet, moment by moment, as his thoughts turned towards the future. 

The lack of certainty. The memories inching close to the edge of his consciousness, the Ascension, the Crystal, the Astrals…too much for him to stomach. He felt queasy and hateful and irritated. 

His jaw clenched and he kept his mouth shut. 

As they loaded all their supplies onto the train (a good amount of arms, a secret stockpile kept in Tenebrae for many years), Noctis came up behind Ardyn and rested his forehead on one of Ardyn’s shoulder blades.

They didn’t say anything to each other. What passed between them at their point of contact, the mutual feelings of doubt and apprehension, was more than enough. Ardyn closed his eyes, trying to focus all his thoughts on nothing by Noctis’s presence.

That warm presence, fresh like spring breeze. Ardyn’s heart (that thing in his chest he had begrudgingly started to admit actually existed) ached as he thought about losing such a presence. 

Noctis took an unsteady breath. Ah. Ardyn sighed as he felt a wave of Noctis’s fear. 

Without thinking, he turned around, gripping Noctis by the chin and staring deep into his eyes. 

“Together,” he said quietly, reaffirming what Noctis had asked of him in Cartanica. “The whole way. And not a moment apart.”

He meant it. Fuck, he really meant it. Noctis must have realized how strongly Ardyn felt about keeping that promise, because his eyes widened and then hardened into a look of determination. 

“Right.” Noctis nodded, clapping Ardyn on the shoulder and squeezing tightly. 

It seemed they were sharing strength. Feeding off each other in a way Ardyn never could have expected. 

But he was grateful for it.

“Hey you!"

Without warning, a strawberry blonde blur rammed into Ardyn’s side, knocking him back against the train. He grunted as he fought to keep his breath, feeling around for his Armiger just in case…but most of him already knew what was going on.

A small head nuzzled Ardyn’s stomach, then peered up at him with huge, expressive eyes. The young boy from before was smiling as big as he could, eyes twinkling in excitement. 

“Hello, again…” Ardyn managed, patting the boy on the head and inspecting the wound on his throat. The medics had done a fantastic job—there was hardly a scar where the burns had been.

The boy giggled and squeezed him tighter. 

“You!” Meanwhile, his sister stomped over to them, her hands on her hips. She looked furious, pointing an accusatory finger at Ardyn. “You said you would come check on us in a little bit! It’s been forever! We had to come looking for you ourselves!” 

She stormed over to him. “Are you a liar?” 

Ardyn sighed, noting that the girl had bandages wrapped around her middle and one high up on her leg. She had been injured as well, apparently. And now here she was accusing Ardyn of being a liar. …Quite a tough child, it seemed. 

Getting down on his knees again, Ardyn smiled thinly at the girl (while the boy stayed happily in his arms). “I don’t remember specifying when I would return…and besides, I was right about the medics, no? You two are looking bright-eyed and bushy-tailed already.” 

“That’s right! All better!” the boy cried, jumping up in a burst of excitement. “Thanks to Uncle Good Guy!” 

Ardyn risked a glance around them and saw that they had attracted quite the crowd. His four companions and a good deal other people, who were all looking on affectionately. He clicked his teeth in irritation. 

Then he caught Noctis grinning at him. His heart distantly thrummed at the sight.

“Well…fine, then, I guess,” the girl conceded. She went over and wrapped her arms around his elbow. “But we’re coming with you from now on.” 

Ardyn blinked in disbelief. “…No, you’re not,” he deadpanned. 

“Oh yes we are!” The girl put her hands on her hips defiantly. “We’re going to fight the Nifs, too! And we’ll make sure you don’t go back on your word again, mister!” 

The crowd full-on roared with laughter at that one. Ardyn shook his head slowly, rising to his feet. He was not about to get into an argument with this girl, but…really, it was ridiculous to think that these children had any chance of survival boarding the train with them. Didn’t she see that? Ardyn groaned as he realized he might feel (just a small bit) responsible if anything happened to them…

“Hey, kid.” Aranea of all people emerged from the crowd and walked up to the girl. She handed her a small spear, what looked like something built for a teenager. But it was almost twice the size of the child and she needed to use both hands to lift it. 

The girl stared in wonder at the weapon. Her brother came up beside her, just as overcome with curiosity. 

“Hold down the fort for us here, alright?” Aranea said to her. “We’re counting on you.” 

The small girl’s eyes turned fierce. She forced herself to hold up the spear in one hand like a warrior. “Hmph,” she said seriously, nodding to Aranea. “Understood.” 

Then a nurse from the crowd came over and grabbed the girl’s hand, leading her back to the medic station. The nurse muttered something about how the girl could protect the other children at the clinic, which seemed to satisfy the mini-warrior a great deal.

The boy looked back at Ardyn and waved. “Bye bye!” 

Remembering him, the girl looked back as well. She looked uncertain for a moment, wavering between desires.

“Go on,” Ardyn prompted, nodding to her like he would to an adult. 

She smiled. As expected of most children, all she wanted was to be taken seriously. With that, they went with the nurse back to the clinic. 

Straightening his clothes to retain some dignity, Ardyn wordlessly went back to loading the train. He pointedly did not make eye contact with anyone. Most people chuckled and went about their business.

Ignis, however, cleared his throat and stood next to Ardyn. “They seemed rather fond of you…” he murmured.

“Aww, didn’t know he had it in him,” Prompto teased loudly, nudging Noctis, who was laughing lightly now. 

Gladiolus casually helped Ardyn with the boxes. “So…Uncle Good—”

“That’s quite enough.” Ardyn held out a hand in warning. He kept his eyes closed, but if he had opened them, they would have seen some sparks from his Lucian magic resonating dangerously in his pupils. 

Giving in, his companions whispered a few more comments to each other (which Ardyn steadfastly ignored) and let it be. But if he had bothered to look, Ardyn would have seen nothing but the utmost affection in their eyes. 

“Gotta admit,” Aranea commented privately to Biggs and Wedge. “I have no idea what game that guy is playing.” 

_____________________________________________________________

As the train thundered on, Ignis went over and over the plans with all of them. They would arrive in Zegnatus and immediately go to the underground barracks where Ravus was waiting for them. He talked through their plan of attack—how their ragtag army would emerge from the barracks in waves. Each wave would attack the Empire from a different standpoint—one wave would attack head on, right at the front of the capital; this wave would be led by Gladiolus. Another would attack the laboratories, guided by Prompto who knew the ins and outs of the laboratory system from personal experience. Still another would head for Iedolas himself, led by Ravus himself with Ignis at his side (for negotiation purposes, if necessary).

Prompto seemed uneasy at first. He kept glancing between Noctis and Ardyn, then looking anxiously out the window. 

“What’s wrong, Prom?” Noctis finally asked, running his hand down Prompto’s back.

“N-nothing…” the blonde stammered, but he flinched when Noctis touched him. A rare sight.

Noctis frowned back. Gladiolus shifted in his seat and talked straight at him, “You’re not fooling anyone. Just spit it out already.”

“It’s just…” Prompto looked out the window. “I mean, I want to help the group going to the labs, especially since I grew up there and everything so I know where to go…but…I’m worried about the MTs Ravus talked about. He said there were a bunch of MTs who defected and were willing to fight with us. But…where are they going to be? Which group will they be with?”

Ignis adjusted his glasses and regarded his small black book, where all the orders were written. “I admit, I didn’t ask about the MTs when I spoke with the Commander…” 

Prompto shrugged. “I just…want to talk to them. Before we go to the labs. I’m thinking that like…maybe if the MTs just go in with the people from Lucis, they won’t be treated…I don’t know, maybe…”

Noctis nodded right away. It was clear what Prompto was worried about. The MT soldiers joining them might not be accepted by the soldiers, some of whom looked at MTs as little more than daemons. That could hurt their faction, if there was any dissonance between the ranks. Worst case scenario, the army might fall apart if some soldiers didn’t get the memo and started attacking the MTs like they were enemies.

“It does pose a problem,” Ignis said, looking at Prompto. “But you were thinking of a solution?”

“If I can talk to the MTs first, I can try and convince them to join my group. The other MTs who are revolting probably hate those laboratories just as much as a I do. We could take them out and it would be…you know, awesome…”

“If you can convince them to follow you,” Gladiolus pointed out. Ever the clear headed one, bringing up what might go wrong so they had all their bases covered.

“Right, well…” Prompto glanced away.

He had never thought of himself as much of a leader. 

“You can do it,” Noctis chimed in immediately. “I think you’re the best person to lead them, Prom. If not you, someone who knows exactly what they went through, then who else?”

It was a good enough point. 

Personally, Ardyn had no doubt the other MTs would follow Prompto. He had never met another MT quite like their blonde companion—so exuberant and eager. It was not a trait that scientists encouraged in their MTs for obvious reasons—who wanted soldiers with a sunny attitude? A smile that could light up a room? In that way, Prompto overcame almost all of the stereotypes around MTs. Ardyn was certain that once the others saw him, what he was like, they would be drawn in immediately.

And as always, Prompto was unaware of his charm. It would have made Ardyn smile if he was not so very agitated at the prospects of their future. 

“Don’t be discouraged,” Ardyn said from where he sat. “Just talk to them the same way you would anyone else.”

“You think…that’ll be enough?” Prompto asked, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“I do.” The former immortal nodded. He distantly wished that he could see his small lover leading a band of rebel MTs. It would be quite the sight. 

They all would be. Gladiolus on the front lines. Ignis alongside Ravus, confronting the Emperor himself. Noctis with him down below, facing the Crystal like the king he was becoming. 

Ardyn looked around at all of them and shook his head. How had he managed to find such a marvelous group of young men? He wanted to be with them all. One last time before the fight…he felt a strong pulse of desire in his veins, aching to be close to them. All of them. He wished he could sit in Gladiolus’s lap and kiss Ignis hard on the mouth, to wrap Prompto in his arms and then lick every sweet inch of Noctis while they all undressed him…

“I’ll call the Commander to notify him of the change in plans,” Ignis announced. He got up immediately to find Aranea.

Shaking his head to get rid of all those thoughts (things his body would never quite let go of), Ardyn sat back with his eyes closed.

The leather on the seat next to him crinkled as Gladiolus came to sit down. Ardyn looked over at the Shield, who seemed distantly troubled himself now. A serious, foreboding kind of anxiety that Ardyn had not seen before.

“I’ll take care of Prompto,” Gladiolus began quietly, out of earshot of the other two, who were sitting side by side murmuring to each other (probably words of encouragement). “And Ignis can take care of himself, he knows what he’s doing. But I need you to take care of Noct. Show him the way and make sure he’s…safe. Alright?” 

Ardyn frowned, admittedly surprised to hear Gladiolus talking to him like an equal. He did not know why, though, considering that Gladiolus had never treated him with anything but respect. Despite all the sex with Ardyn begging to be on the receiving end, how he had been cured, their beach trip together…things that Ardyn was fairly certain he did not deserve after the way he had orchestrated things against Insomnia (including the murder of Gladiolus’s father, unavoidably). 

But Gladiolus just forgave him. As if the Shield chalked all that up to what he referred to as “gods and daemons,” things no man had power over. 

Ardyn did not know how to express what Gladiolus’s respect and forgiveness meant to him. How Ardyn had not even needed to ask, that Gladiolus just…gave it to him for free.

So the former immortal said nothing. What could he say? Nothing good enough came to mind. So he just nodded, agreeing to take care of Noctis. He would, after all, try to defend Noctis to the very last. Of that he was certain. 

Perhaps not just for his own sake, either. For the sake of the others who loved Noctis too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Planning on another update some real soon. It's just that this next part is so long I had to break it up. 
> 
> Next one should be up shortly!


	9. Purpose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To the Crystal....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter gets a little darker. I take a lot of liberties and go into detail about Ardyn's past. I used Ardyn's speech from when Noctis gets sucked into the Crystal, and then some of his lines from the final fight. Because that's really all we have to go on, besides some of the fan-translated stuff from the Ulimania guide (which I also looked at). I also used a bunch of the concept artwork from Ardyn's character bio, which can be found [here](http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/File:Ardyn-Izunia-Crucified-FFXV.png). Something about that picture makes me think a lot about Ardyn's mom...when you think about the Christian mythology that the artwork draws from and whatnot. There you have it!
> 
> So yeah, this is just one possible version of things! Part of the story. Mind the tags, if you're sensitive to some of that stuff (definitely can skip all the stuff in italics, by the way).

**Chapter 9: Purpose**

They arrived in Zegnatus Keep just before dawn the following day. The troops were assembling in the underground barracks, as planned. Gladiolus agreed to be the first to leave because he needed to rally the troops and get them ready for battle, as theirs would be the first wave to go in.

Before they split up, Gladiolus held his arms wide open. The rest of the team took this as a clear signal for a group hug. Ardyn stood by awkwardly until Prompto and Noctis pulled him in between them to complete the five-way embrace. 

Their bodies pressed in close. Ardyn wished suddenly that they could stay, just like that, frozen in time. Forever. He wouldn’t mind. Not if they were together…

It was an absolutely absurd wish. Of course, the moment ended soon enough. Gladiolus saluted them, glancing meaningfully at Noctis, and left. 

Prompto was next. He needed to rendezvous with the MTs to execute his strategy. The gunner was jittery, pacing back and forth as he talked through the steps of his plan a few more times.

“Don’t worry,” Noctis said, kissing Prompto on the cheek. “You’ve got this.”

The blonde looked back at his long-time lover. His eyes were so full of gratitude and affection. He kissed Noctis firmly on the cheek, squeezing the prince tightly. 

“So do you, buddy,” he whispered to Noctis. Then he jumped out of the train and hurried in the direction of the MT barracks.

“Alright!” Aranea called. She was already suited up in full gear. “We’re moving out to the capital. You coming or what, Specs?” 

“Of course,” Ignis answered, straightening his shoulders. “Give me but a moment.”

Without waiting for a response, Ignis turned around and gathered Noctis into his arms for a full-body hug. It was a rare moment of public attention and Noctis was not expecting it. He froze for a second, then shakily returned the hug. He looked like he might fall apart there in Ignis’s arms—the arms of the man who had been with him his whole life.

Ignis pulled back and kissed Noctis roughly on the mouth. Then he whispered something no one else could hear, just for Noctis. The prince nodded weakly in return.

Ardyn thought that would be the end of it. So, he was even more surprised when Ignis turned to him and gave Ardyn a thorough, intimate squeeze as well. Flustered, the older man just sputtered. He was not sure what to do with all of Ignis’s warmth right in that moment. Especially when he could feel every ounce of the bespectacled man’s loyalty and devotion…

Ardyn fought back a shiver. He knew he would have to pull away from Ignis eventually, but…did it have to be now? So soon?

Ignis combed Ardyn’s hair back with one hand and whispered in his ear, “Look after him, Ardyn. And yourself as well. Please.”

The advisor planted a wet kiss on Ardyn’s cheek. He pulled away abruptly and marched off the train. He did not look back, but probably that was because his face was not entirely together just then. 

“Hubba hubba…” Arana commented, nodding towards the both of them. “Well, good luck, champs.” She leapt off, following behind Ignis as they made their way across the field. 

After that they were alone. Noctis and Ardyn. Everyone else had gone to their appropriate stations, awaiting the battle to come. But those two had their own mission to complete. The thing that had driven Ardyn forward ever since he had been cured, the thing hanging in the air around them.

“I think I can feel it…” remarked Noctis. “The Crystal’s definitely here isn’t it?”

“Yes.” 

Ardyn looked back at the prince. Saying nothing, Noctis grabbed Ardyn’s hand and did not let go. “Well. Lead the way.”

Deciding that he would not mention how (possibly) humiliating it was to be holding Noctis’s hand as they traversed the keep, Ardyn tilted his face downward and led them forward. 

He didn’t exactly mind, anyway. Feeling Noctis’s presence so close to him was nothing to complain about. Besides, the route they were going, no one was likely to see them. Most of the laboratories had been abandoned in the past few weeks as the Empire fell apart. 

There were a few daemons lingering around the place. Some lesser daemons and then some requisite iron giants. As expected, each and every one was drawn to Ardyn’s presence. An inescapable fact of his biology, that daemons were attracted to him. So the pair had to do some fighting together before they reached the lowermost level of the Keep.

It took some time, but by the end of the day, they reached their destination. Ardyn led Noctis to an elevator that brought them down further than any other lift. When this elevator opened, Noctis saw a narrow walkway that lead to large black rock—the same human-sized structure that had lingered at the edge of his mind ever since he was born.

He could feel the buzz of its latent magic rippling over his skin. The Crystal was as sentient as ever. 

Ardyn blinked once. There. That thing. Here it was, at last. He could feel its magic as well but it was a sensation Ardyn had grown to hate.

Saying nothing, they walked over to the platform where the Crystal rested. When they stood before it, they watched in vague interest as the rock began to sparkle in some places. 

If only it could talk, Noctis thought. How the hell was he supposed to interpret those little flashes? 

“Raise your hand to it,” Ardyn said softly, his voice uncharacteristically quiet. 

“I know.” Noctis did not need to be told. He had seen his father commune with the Crystal more than once in his childhood.

Now it was his turn. He needed to do this.

With only the throbbing hum of the Crystal’s energy in their ears, Noctis hesitantly lifted one hand. He thought about what it would feel like to connect with this thing’s energy…he could not even begin to imagine. But, Ardyn had done all this before, hadn’t he? Back in his own time? 

Noctis glanced back at the older man. He dropped his hand and instead laced his fingers together with Ardyn’s. 

“Together…” Noctis said. He lifted their interwoven hands to the Crystal. “Right?” 

Ardyn closed his eyes, bracing himself for what came next. “That’s right.” 

And so, they communed with the Crystal as one. They reached out to it together and received its consciousness at the same time. White light spread out from the rock in a complete circle, blinding them both. They flinched as the light penetrated them. That piercing light searched for their minds, pulsating and roaring when it found them. Then it pulled their awareness out—somewhere, outside—

Ardyn heard a muffled voice. He thought he could make out the words but the language almost didn't make sense. It sounded bizarre and then he understood it all in a rush. He knew that voice. Only too well…

Then blackness overtook them. They faded into darkness that stretched out forever. Ardyn felt himself falling. He was falling into pictures, images that felt like thoughts but were so much more alive than that.

Memories. Scenes from the past. Things he was about to live through one more time. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

_It was the day of Ardyn’s Ascension. Of course, the whole palace had been in a celebrating mood for weeks leading up to this day. The king, Ardyn’s father, had decided upon this specific day to turn the throne over to his son because it was actually a holiday—close to the summer solstice, as it was. This way they could have a positively glorious feast for days afterwards, a celebration that could begin the new king’s reign with happiness._

_Ardyn had been chosen by the Crystal at birth to be the next king. However, in order to Ascend the throne properly, he needed to commune with the Crystal and receive the Draconian’s blessing. Only once he had the mandate of the Astrals could he truly be considered a Lucian king._

_The palace had been somewhat worried these past few years. Because the Crystal had not yet chosen Ardyn’s successor—which was not unheard of, things like this had happened in the past. But normally the Crystal chose the next two kings in line for the throne just in case. It was rather risky to only have one. What if something happened to Ardyn and he was unable to rule?_

_But the advisors were telling everyone to quell their fears. Probably the next king or queen would be one of Ardyn’s children—who obviously had yet to be born. As soon as Ardyn married and produced offspring, they would have their next chosen ruler._

_So, a suitable wife had been arranged for Ardyn. She was beautiful and well-mannered, a fortuitous match for the foundling king. They urged Ardyn to marry her quickly and proceed onward with the rest of the necessary steps, but Ardyn decided to wait until he had Ascended to wed his betrothed._

_His reasoning, of course, was his healing work. Ardyn spent his days traveling all over Eos to heal people afflicted with the Scourge. He just did not have the time to get married when he was being shuttled from place to place, expending all his energy on the healing rituals. It seemed almost like there were more and more people who needed his services every day. And so, Ardyn spent his prime years out amongst the people, administering his special cure. Now he was slightly passed the age where most princes married. Already his father was ready to descend and pass on the throne._

_Perhaps the king descended a little early to force Ardyn out of his healing work and into the throne, with the safety of a marriage to uphold their traditions. Perhaps the man was just tired. But either way, the timing was good, and the kingdom was celebrating a little more than they normally did because of what this Ascension meant. Not just a new king, but a wedding as well! A new queen. Children! And the solstice just around the corner._

_It felt like a magical day._

_The entire Caelum family was in attendance. The current king and queen, seated at the throne looking proud and expectant. The king’s brother—the royal regent—and his son, Ardyn’s cousin Iliatus—regent in training. Ardyn’s sister (heavy with child) and her husband were there. As were Ardyn’s betrothed and her family, twittering excitedly near his sister’s family. Some of the wealthy members of Lucian society and the most important advisors were also in attendance, as were the Crownsguard members responsible for looking after the King. Ardyn recognized his own Shield and his former chamberlain milling around in the throngs of people._

_Some retainers had brought the Crystal up into the throne room for the Ascension, as was customary. An advisor read Ardyn the rites, describing his duty as incumbent king. The rites lasted longer than the prince remembered—perhaps because Ardyn himself was so full of excitement._

_He had needed to wear several layers of the traditional robes, around three additional garments, which his mother raised an eyebrow at. But his body always ran cold these days…after his healing work…_

_“If you accept that your life exists from now on only in service to the people of Lucis, then raise your hand to the Crystal. Commune with the Draconian and become our leader!”_

_The crowd in attendance cheered._

_Ardyn smiled. “I accept,” he said confidently._

_How could the Crystal not impart Its mandate on him after everything he had already done for his kingdom? Countless lives saved._

_So, Ardyn held out his hand and was dragged to the Beyond. The swirling, colorful mist that stretched beyond human conception. The place where he first met Bahamut._

_It was intimidating to meet a being whose eyeball was as large as your entire body. But Ardyn bowed respectfully before the Draconian and asked for his blessing. He recited what he had memorized, the same words his father had uttered when he was before this holy deity._

_A long moment passed in eerie silence._

_Then finally Bahamut spoke. Not with words from a mouth, but in a booming voice that resonated in Ardyn’s mind._

What have you done? _the Draconian asked._ What’s become of your body?

_“My…body?” Ardyn held up his hands, looking down at himself. He was not aware of any change, not on the outside at least, and whatever was on the inside was surely not permanent—_

_Yet, as he looked on, his skin became mottled. Black ooze dripped from his pores and his fingernails twisted into claws. Felt his face changing, burning suddenly from the outside in as the light all around him started to hurt._

_“What…Scourge?” Ardyn choked out, hearing his own voice corrupted. He knew what this was, but how could he be infected without showing any signs before now? “But…why?”_

You have invited this sickness inside yourself. _Bahamut blinked one massive horse-like eye._ I cannot allow one so corrupted to Ascend.

_“Wait!” Terror flooded Ardyn’s being, invaded his mouth like blood, even as he spoke. “I can explain…!”_

No. _Bahamut held up his hand, reaching out with one enormous claw that could have easily torn Ardyn asunder._ What you have done is unspeakable by our laws.You have cursed yourself with unnatural life, plagued by daemons in your flesh. Only the Chosen One can avail you now. Perhaps he can grant you peace. 

_“Chosen One…?” Ardyn stammered. “Was not I chosen…?”_

Go now.

_Before the Draconian could explain anything else, Ardyn was forced out of the Beyond. He landed painfully back in his own body, screaming in pain as he recognized suddenly a thousand daemon voices all clamoring around inside his mind. They were speaking to him—these daemons he had taken from the others—saying horrible, obscene things…_

_As he wrenched his eyes open, fighting back their will, Ardyn stared back at the rest of the retinue in attendance. He had not Ascended._

_He had failed?_

_…Ardyn had never failed at anything before in his life. He was sweating and panting, looking around desperately._

_“What’s happened?” the advisors asked. “Have you the Mandate?”_

_Everyone was staring at him with bated breath._

_“I…” Ardyn felt his face with trembling hands. Was he himself right now? Could they see what Bahamut had shown him…?_

_Then suddenly, the Draconian spoke from the Crystal. His voice was heard only once every Ascension, to declare the new ruler. This time, however, Bahamut said something else:_

He does not have the Mandate. He is the Accursed, foretold to us by prophecy ever since the days of Solheim. We, who can see all of time stretched out before us like the scrawling pages of a book, know only one way to end this evil. Await the Chosen One, he who will bring light to the darkness. He is your Salvation. You will know him by my pronouncement upon his birth. Now, take our prophecy and wait for him.

_Just like that, the Crystal glowed brightly for a brief moment and then went dark. Silent. The Draconian had spoken._

_Cries broke out across the throne room._

_“What does this mean?”_

_“He has been rejected?”_

_“This…has never happened before!”_

_“Who is this Chosen One? When will he be born?”_

_“Silence!” Finally Ardyn’s father spoke. He stood from the throne and bid everyone to cease their endless questioning. Then, he walked down to confront his son._

_“Ardyn…” the king said, looking at the prince with harsh golden-hazel eyes. His grey hair and beard looked intimidating in this light, in a way Ardyn had never seen before. “What have you done?”_

_“I…haven’t done anything wrong!” Anger and panic rose within Ardyn as he realized he was being accused. “You know exactly what I’ve done! The same thing you all bid me do! I have gone around this whole kingdom curing people of the Scourge—”_

_“And in doing so you have cursed yourself,” his father finished for him._

_Ardyn looked around again, searching for anyone to defend him. His gaze fell to his betrothed, who was sobbing in his sister’s arms. The woman’s father spied Ardyn’s stare and led his daughter away, ushering her out of the room and shielding her from his eyes. As if even his gaze would spread the curse…._

_“But surely you cannot…think that I…” Ardyn’s mind was racing. He felt weak and sick, with no idea what to say._

_“What should we think then, cousin?”_

_A voice was heard from the back of the crowd. It was Iliatus, the burgeoning regent. Ardyn’s cousin._

_The sandy-haired man walked directly over to the king, glaring daggers at Ardyn, who still lay on the ground unable to lift himself up. It was no secret that Iliatus had desired the throne for years, sowing seeds of malcontent by spreading rumors that Ardyn had not wed because he was too busy bedding everything that walked. He had, in private, implored the current king to relinquish Ardyn’s title to him for the time being, so that Ardyn could go about his healing work to his heart’s content while Iliatus himself sat on the throne._

_And of course, seeing his time to strike, Iliatus went in for the kill._

_“The Draconian has spoken! His will is absolute! He has dubbed thee a curse, an evil—these are the words from His very mouth!” Iliatus regarded the king and everyone else, as if asking for approval. “Did we not all hear the same thing?”_

_Ardyn’s father shook his head. “Iliatus, please, now is not the time…”_

_“But the kingdom is in crisis!” Iliatus gestured to the Crystal and back to Ardyn. “We have no rightful successor! The prince has been rejected—a first in our history! No one else has been chosen for the next Ascension. We have been told only to await the coming of some mystical Chosen One, but who knows when he might arrive? We are in uncharted territory here, my lord, with no one to guide us!”_

_Ardyn’s father was listening. But he shook his head at the end. “I am still King until another is chosen. And I say we need to reflect upon this prophecy before we make any decisions.”_

_Iliatus’s eyes glowed, seeing a ripe opportunity. “Of course, my liege. And in the meantime, while we reflect, I say we lock the Accursed in the dungeons where he cannot spread his evil.”_

_“No!” Ardyn’s mother cried, rising to her feet._

_A few more people spoke out in protest. “He is still the crown prince!”_

_“Think of his service!”_

_“What a dark day for the throne…”_

_But Iliatus honed in Ardyn’s father. The man was frowning, teetering on the edge of indecision._

_“Listen to me, Uncle,” Iliatus urged in a quiet voice. “You heard the words yourself. Ardyn is lost to us, he has become an evil that needs vanquishing. We need to protect the citizens of Lucis, first and foremost. Before more evil plagues our lands…”_

_Ardyn’s father closed his eyes, holding his breath for a long moment. When he opened them again, he was resolute. His gaze turned cold. He fixed Ardyn with a look of disgust._

_“Father…” Ardyn called silently. He knew what was about to happen and he could not even begin to understand why._

_“Guards,” his father bid, waving over the Crownsguard. “Seize my son. Seize the Accursed.”_

_The knights faltered for a heartbeat. Then they saw that the King’s mind was made up. So, they approached Ardyn and wrapped his wrists in chains._

_He would be in chains for years upon years after that. But of course, in that moment, Ardyn had no idea what was happening to him. He could not even summon the will to resist. It never occurred to him that he would need to fight his own guards—the guards who had dogged his steps with nothing but worship in the past._

_As he was chained, his father turned his back. Ardyn would never see his father’s face again._

_Scrabbling for purchase as the guards hoisted him off his feet by his arms, Ardyn looked frantically around the room. Everyone was either shielding their faces or sneering at him. “Mother…!” Ardyn cried as they dragged him away._

_He saw his mother, covering her mouth to hold in a sob. She was still looking at him. Pain in her eyes. Shock and sadness. His mother was a strong woman, she had never cried in his presence before._

_But clearly, everything Ardyn had ever known was shattered. He was learning new things about the world, it seemed. For instance, they fixed a collar around his throat that negated his connection to all his kingly powers. Unable to wrap, summon weapons, or use magic, Ardyn was little more than a commoner with this collar on his neck. How could such magic exist…?_

_He was in prison for a few months after that. The guards mostly stayed away from him. They did not know how to act around a prince turned criminal. He had a few visitors—mostly his mother, who told him everything that was happening on the outside. His sister a few times, who brought him small luxuries like clean clothes and extra food._

_According to Ardyn’s mother, Iliatus was relentless in poisoning the waters against him. His cousin was making the king (and their people in turn) begin to doubt everything about Ardyn. Things from the past, every quirk and story from Ardyn’s youth. The way he took to his healing efforts, the way daemons had always been attracted to him. These were signs, Iliatus said, of Ardyn’s inherent evil._

_Soon enough, these ideas became fact._

_Uniting in the fervor to cast out Ardyn, the advisors found some law hidden in the annals of history. Apparently, if a prince failed to properly Ascend the throne (mostly by choice, which was the reason the law had been written), his life was forfeit. Legally anyway and in the eyes of the people._

_Iliatus and the rest argued that this was proof Ardyn needed to be executed._

_So, they readied his execution. It was a laborious process, actually. Their people had elaborate rituals around punishment by death. Ardyn needed to be flogged for seven days and six nights (which he was). Strangely, his wounds seemed to heal rather quickly. More evidence of his demonization. Then he needed to be cleaned, by hand, by the oldest members of their society. After that, he would have one last meal with his mother. Then, and only then, he would be put to death by public guillotine._

_(Who wrote these laws? Ardyn wondered, during his bathing by wrinkled old hands. His flesh shook underneath their touch, unaccustomed to kindness already after only a week of torture.)_

_His mother was silent during their last meal together. She wore black. It seemed her hair had gotten even grayer recently, running down her scalp in wicked streaks. She looked as if such things hardly mattered to her._

_Ardyn wanted to tell her everything would be alright. That it was fine he was going to die because, really, what was his life worth anyway? Might as well accept death and get it over with…but then, how could he tell his mother—the women who brought him into the world—such things?_

_He felt like the worst kind of failure._

_“I’m sorry, Mother…” Ardyn said eventually, in their last moments together._

_She shook her head. Unsmiling. “Enough of that. Peace, son.”_

_For some reason, those words did in fact bring him some measure of peace. The thought that his mother had welcomed his death made everything seem somehow…right. If he cried in her arms, for barely a moment, well…they were alone. No one saw them. It hardly mattered._

_On the day of his execution, as per their custom, Ardyn was dragged through the streets for hours before he was brought to the guillotine. People were welcome to throw things at him, to curse him, to whip him if they liked. They did. Smiling faces that had graced his life since birth turned mocking and hateful. They degraded him, called him evil, a disgrace._

_He had thought himself beyond pain, but somehow…their words hurt. This kind of rejection from the people… Ardyn had never experienced hatred and it was…truly awful._

_Part of him was glad when they finally laid his head in the guillotine. At least now it would be over. The blade slicing through—it hurt, but only for a fraction of a second. He felt death’s sweet chill…_

_…and then his head managed to roll its way back atop his shoulders. Through ooze and black effervescence. He blinked his eyes and saw the scene of his death—just as he left it._

_That’s how he found out he was immortal._

_The people screamed in terror, realizing that all the rumors were true. Ardyn was a real monster._

_They jailed him again. This time indefinitely. As it happened, no one knew what else to do with him. They had never come across an immortal prince turned prisoner. A veritable daemon they had no way of dispatching._

_During his second round in prison, they stashed Ardyn in the deepest dungeon they had. As far away from the light as possible, where no sound from the outside world crept in. The prison guards were his only company—the cruelest men in the kingdom who amused themselves by finding new ways to torture Ardyn. Now that they knew he was immortal, they did not limit themselves in any way. Some of their methods, Ardyn would admit, were downright…imaginative. But far from human, undeniably._

_Each time Ardyn felt death approaching at their hands, he was tricked into believing this might be the time he got some relief at long last. Maybe now, finally it would be over. And each time Ardyn awoke again, unable to die no matter how gruesome the death. Each time, he hated the world just a little bit more._

_He had no visitors, not after his rather public failure of an execution. He allowed himself to hope for a time that someone would eventually come for him. His mother. His sister, maybe. His betrothed. Any of the countless people he had saved during his time as a healer._

_No one came. Whether they were barred from seeing him or whether they had simply given up on him, Ardyn would never know._

_There, in the darkness, Ardyn stewed. Eventually even the guard’s visits become less frequent. It seemed they just…forgot about him. He had no idea what became of the throne, of Iliatus or his father. He heard nothing, knew nothing. This absence of any new knowledge was in itself a kind of torture. As if the world just froze. Everything in his life ground to a halt, frozen in time._

_The collar around his throat held fast. He forgot, at some point, that he had ever had Lucian powers._

_Slowly…Ardyn’s mind turned to the daemons. The voices in his head, though filthy and bizarre, were at least some kind of distraction. Ardyn let himself just listen to their incomprehensible rabble at first, until he slowly figured out how to make sense of them. When the presence of the daemons became something he could converse with, Ardyn allowed himself some conversation at last. Even if he was talking to daemons, at least he was not talking to himself._

_The daemons told him to hate. Hatred was the obvious answer! No one had ever been as mistreated as Ardyn, surely!_

_And it was easy. It was so ridiculously easy to turn his heart to hatred there in the darkness. When he had been abandoned by everyone. When pain became his only experience, so that he forgot what it felt like not to be in pain._

_He lost track of time. How could he follow the days, there in the depths of the earth? Later, he would find out, he was locked in those dungeons for decades. Close to a century._

_Towards the end, Ardyn realized that it all made sense. Of course they cast him out. After the Astrals spoke about Their made-up curse. People were followers. They believed whatever lie sounded like the truth. And they were afraid to contradict anyone else._

_People were stupid. They were weak. That was the nature of humanity._

_After all that time, Ardyn learned how to commune with the daemons. These creatures inside him—his supposed curse—could actually grant him quite a bit of power, if he allowed them access to his essence. Which he did! What else did he have but an abundance of life? How quaint._

_They formed a symbiotic relationship. Eventually, with their help, Ardyn was able to break out of his prison. One combined slash with his daemon’s claws cleared the thickest metal bars without much effort. Their brutal, concentrated energy turned the collar around his throat to ashes._

_Amazing. If only the others knew how strong he was with the daemons inside of him. Far stronger than anything the Crystal could have turned him into._

_When he finally emerged from the darkness, Ardyn found the world rather changed. Lucis was in a decline from the Scourge, which had run rampant, leaving hordes of daemons to roam freely at night. The night, it seemed, belonged to the daemons. Men twisted into monsters._

_Ardyn did not mind. He fled the palace without anyone noticing his absence, all under cover of night._

_He travelled. Far and wide. All over Lucis, into the darkest corners of the kingdom where the sunlight would not hinder him. He learned the secrets of Eos. He learned of Ifrit, the cast-out Astral. Feeling a level of kinship with this Archaeon, Ardyn sought him out. It took him close to a century, but he found him._

_The first few hundred times, Ifrit killed him. But eventually Ardyn won him over._

_Lucian king indeed. With strength untold, and a union with an Astral. Sure, a hellish Astral, but still. Did he not have everything he wanted when he was a prince seeking the throne?_

_When he came back to society (that is, when he decided to learn of human history again and everything he missed), Ardyn followed the story of the kings. He learned that his sister’s son had been the next one to receive the Mandate of the Crystal, but Iliatus served as regent king for years before his nephew took the throne._

_Interesting. Ardyn considered whether he would care about this turn of events or not._

_He decided not to._

_Beyond that, Lucis was a country constantly at war. Ardyn sat on the sidelines for years upon years, watching the squabbles between nations. He thought about what he would do with this unending power…and decided that the only conscionable thing to do at this point was to destroy the Crystal. Really, those Astrals thought they could control everything—how laughable! They had no control over Ardyn. And he would show them just how little he cared for their damn prophecy by waiting until the Chosen One’s birth. Then he would kill the Chosen One—like his people had tried to kill him—on the Crystal’s very altar._

_What a satisfying thought. The daemons concurred. Well, then they were all in agreement!_

_So it was. Ardyn no longer worried, nor felt very much of anything honestly. Except the constant ache of the daemons in his soul, which he forgot about after a while. And his own hatred. That was all he needed to keep going._

Is it all you need? 

_Yes. How could he need anything else?_

_…Well, but recently…his life these past few weeks had been something completely different. Something that just did not fit in with the rest of his life’s narrative._

_Absurd, really. How could his life change so drastically, just like that?_

_But he was…happy. He had known happiness there, in the arms of Noctis, Prompto, Ignis, and Gladiolus. He had discovered a kind of peace, a joy in just…living. In being with people that truly cared for him._

_He had known love. Perhaps…that was worth it. Whatever happened to him now, at least he had known love in his life._

I see. So that’s your answer.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

They were floating. Distantly, they could hear some kind of humming. Similar to the pulse of the magic that flowed inside both of them. 

Ardyn reached out, feeling for Noctis’s hand. He remembered that they were holding hands before…? 

There. Noctis’s fingers inside his. They were still together. (Everything else…those dark memories…they were just echoes of the past, nothing more.) 

He opened his eyes and was immediately greeted with the swirling colors of the Beyond. This time though he knew he was in the present, not the past. Because Noctis was floating there next to him, waking up slowly. 

“Ardyn!” Noctis cried, squeezing his hand tightly. “You’re…here. Wait, where…are we? I thought I was…” The prince rubbed his face confusedly. 

“We’re in the Beyond,” Ardyn answered flatly, looking around for Bahamut. “Where did you think you were?”

“I thought I saw my dad…” Noctis shook his head, coming into reality. “But I guess I was just remembering him. Are you okay…?” 

The younger man floated in closer to Ardyn, reaching out with his other hand too. Suddenly longing for some kind of contact (seeing Noctis again after experiencing all that…well, Ardyn was not going to turn away this boy’s welcoming touch), Ardyn let Noctis intertwine both their hands. He sighed when he felt Noctis’s gentle fingers.

So soft and cool. But warm at the center—a warmth Ardyn knew quite well…

Before Ardyn could say anything, the two men suddenly realized they were not alone.

The Draconian had made His presence known. Certainly He had been there this whole time, watching and observing in His way. But only now did Bahamut let Himself be seen.

Noctis stared up in wonder at the Astral. He swallowed audibly, eyes wide in confusion. Not one to be easily impressed though, the prince fought his instincts and said nothing. 

On the other hand, Ardyn stared back at the Draconian blankly. He wanted to hate Him—and he did on a lot of levels—but after everything he had just seen and felt…Ardyn was feeling too distant from his own emotions to actually scrounge up something like hatred. The last time he had seen Bahamut—two thousand years ago—felt like yesterday. And yet…it somehow also felt like ancient history?

Alright. So he was a little disoriented. 

_I receive your communion,_ Bahamut declared, in that way He had (somehow speaking without making any sound). _And I accept it._

“Umm…what?” Noctis asked. “Who…are you?” 

“He is Bahamut, the Draconian,” Ardyn answered, moving in front of Noctis as if to shield him. If he even could shield Noctis from something as absurdly large as Bahamut…

…but Ardyn had made up his mind a while ago. Even if he had to go through all of that hell again, he would make sure that Noctis was not put to the same test.

_Rest easy. You have my mandate, Chosen One, should you so desire it._

“Oh, so…you’re just giving it to me?” Noctis blinked in confusion.

_Yes. You have my blessing to become a true Lucian ruler. I have seen your actions, your bravery in curing the Scourge. Your heart. And yours as well, Accursed._

Accursed…? Ardyn grit his teeth against the anger welling up inside him.

Still being judged. Always, forever. This holy bastard…

_But you have no need for these titles anymore._ Bahamut blinked and suddenly the colors shifted around them. They went from bright and glaring to subdued, somewhat darker. _The Prophecy has ended. The Astrals will go back to being spectators on human society. And you, the former prophesied, will live your mortal lives as you so desire._

“You…” Ardyn wanted to say more. That was it? Bahamut was just letting them go? 

_The hatred in your heart, borne from cruelty, has been purified._ Bahamut said to him, as casually as anything. _By the Chosen One, who is beloved by many. Including you._

The light in the Beyond returned to its former brightness.

_When we saw time unfold,_ Bahamut explained. _This was but one of many possibilities. Now that this is your reality, the land is healed of its lingering curse. The evil you will battle now is but the darkness that lives in man’s heart, the inextinguishable evil of mankind._

_But you are ready. The love shared between you is strong enough to endure. With this connection, I am confident you can lead your people down the right paths._

“Oh…um, thanks…” Noctis said awkwardly.

Ardyn was speechless. So those memories…perhaps that had all been part of a test? Really? Bahamut would put him through even that?

And yet, somehow…Ardyn had managed to pass. How? With all the anger and malice he had carried with him through these centuries?

Bahamut blinked. _Remember what cured you and never forget that light._

As if unearthing the memory from somewhere in Ardyn’s subconscious, the light Ardyn felt during his connection with Noctis shone brightly in his mind. It was what drew him to Noctis, to his companions. What held them together. 

Prompto’s affection. Ignis’s loyalty and devotion. Gladiolus’s respect and forgiveness. Noctis’s love… Their combined hope.

That was the light in his life. 

Ardyn closed his eyes as he understood. Fuck…after all this time. The thing worth seeking in his life was just that. 

And he already had it. 

Bahamut raised his mighty claw. _Chosen One and Accursed,_ he said, gesturing to each of them as he spoke their former titles. _Now…Beloved_ (he pointed at Noctis) _and Purified_ (he pointed at Ardyn). _Fitting titles._

The colors around them sparkled brighter than ever before. 

_Go forth and make your own future._

Just like that, and Noctis and Ardyn were sent spiraling from the Beyond, back into their own mortal bodies.

________________________________________________________

“You said they both had a pulse, right?”

“Yes, for the millionth time!”

“Well then why can’t we wake them up!? Are they in a coma or something—”

“Hush! Ardyn’s coming to.”

Opening his eyes in the darkness of Zegnatus Keep, Ardyn was met with the sight of Ignis cradling his head in his lap. The bespectacled man quickly brushed the hair out of Ardyn’s eyes and smiled down at him kindly.

“Glad to see you’re awake,” Ignis said, smiling with open relief. “Are you alright?”

Ardyn sat up, holding onto Ignis’s shoulder for support. “Yes I’m…” he felt woozy, as if he had just relived some thousands of years in only a short time. But clearly, Ignis was wearing the same clothes as before. It seemed almost no time passed at all.

He looked around. Noctis was laying in Gladiolus’s lap, just starting to open his eyes. 

“Majesty!” Ignis cried. Gladiolus lifted Noctis up a little higher, leaning the prince against his chest. 

“Noct! You okay?” Prompto was flitting back and forth on the platform, rushing from side to side as they all sat in the presence of the Crystal. Right where they had communed with It. 

“Yeah, I’m good, I’m uh…” Noctis made eye contact with Ardyn and smiled. He looked so deeply relieved, somehow younger and older at the same time. Ardyn fell in love with that face all over again. “Did we do it?”

“It would seem so…” Ardyn said slowly, glancing back at the Crystal. The rock had gone dark again.

“Did what? Come on, talk to us!” Prompto shook Noctis’s shoulders until Gladiolus swatted him away. 

“I…got the Mandate…” Noctis said, grinning back at his friends. “I guess I’m really king now.” 

“And the prophecy?” Ignis asked, breathless.

“We…were given new titles by the Draconian,” Ardyn explained, leaning in to rest his face against Ignis’s shoulder inexplicably. (He just wanted to be close to him all of a sudden.) 

“Oooh…new titles! What are they?”

They shared their titles with the group. Gladiolus laughed, shaking his head a little at the absurdity of it all. Ardyn had to agree with him there. 

“And what about you guys?” Noctis asked, leaning back against Gladiolus and grabbing Prompto’s hand greedily. “Did we win the fight or what?”

“Done and done!” Prompto pumped his fist in victory. “The fight ended in like three hours! Those Niflheim soldiers really had nothing going on. Just a handful of soldiers, they went down like nothing. Couple of daemons—piece of cake. I think that might be the last of them…the daemons I mean. Oh, by the way, the MTs that fought with us are baller! Seriously, bomb as hell!” 

Gladiolus nodded. “Even I gotta say, those MTs knew how to fight. Damn glad they’re on our side. Maybe the end of the Scourge made them even stronger somehow, I don’t know.” 

Anything was possible.

“And the Emperor?” Ardyn asked.

“Disposed of,” Ignis replied, straightening his glasses to mask his pride. “Commander Ravus will be assuming control of the Empire for the foreseeable future. With Aranea as his lieutenant.” 

“So then…it’s all solved?” Noctis asked, wrapping his arms around Gladiolus’s neck and pecking his Shield on the cheek.

“For now. Yes.” Ignis beamed at the rest of their group with a genuine smile. “But let’s get you two to a hotel room so we can talk thoroughly about everything that’s happened.” 

“Hmm…thoroughly…” Gladiolus helped Noctis to his feet. “I like the sound of that.”

“Hell yeah!” Prompto cheered.

As they all began to stand up, Ignis wrapped his arms around Ardyn and smothered him with another fierce hug.

“Thank you, Ardyn,” Ignis said quietly. “Thank you for everything.”

What the hell? Was that a joke or something equally as depraved?

Ardyn shook his head, ignoring the tightening in his chest. “You don’t understand…I’m the one who should be thanking you.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bahamut: "Wait for the Chosen One. Go." 
> 
> *two thousand years later*
> 
> Noctis: "Um what?"
> 
> #thatAstrallife
> 
> So this is pretty much the end of the plot! Next chapter will be some delicious smut. Yay! 
> 
> Much love everyone <3


	10. Lovers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To the hotel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! Last chapter guys! I basically went on a porn marathon so...here's some debauchery to finish us off ;)

**Chapter 10: Lovers**

Above ground, the Niflheim capital was in complete turmoil. The Lucian (and Tenebraen, and all other nationalities that had come together) soldiers were running to and fro, some of them not even trying to hide their glee. In a few places, men and women could be seen openly partying. Drinks in hand (how had they managed to stow away a good supply of alcohol as well?), people were hugging and kissing (and a little bit more) in the waning light. 

“Freedom!”

“We made it out alive!”

“The end of an Empire….”

“My son will have a future…”

“Will you marry me now?”

“Are you gonna fuck me over here or wait until we get all the way back to Leide?”

Each new snippet of conversation was more interesting than the last. Everyone who came to Niflheim that day had their own stories and they were all currently wrapped in another joyful, engrossing chapter.

“Whoa…” Prompto remarked, whistling to distract from his own blushing. “People are really getting into this, huh?” 

“What’d you expect?” Gladiolus grumbled. He was leading the way through a torn battlefield as confidently as if he had caused all the destruction himself. Which, to be fair, he was responsible for a good amount of it. More than a few pillars were suspiciously misplaced. 

For all that they had done, Noctis and his friends passed through the remnants of the battlefield relatively unnoticed. All the people they ran into were too busy with their own affairs—this fight had been personal. Whether you were from Niflheim or Lucis, a human or MT. There was so much to do now…people just did not know where to start. 

Some captains were attempting to dish out orders, which were haphazardly being followed. Aranea was in the very front of the crowd, but it looked like she was more invested in the beer bottle someone had pressed into her hands than anything else. Even further up ahead was Ravus. He had his back to everyone else, hunched over a piece of paper he was furiously scribbling on. Presumably a letter to Luna. (They should really get Luna a phone, Noctis decided. The letter thing was becoming a bit…). 

“We’ll…check in with the Imperial Commander shortly,” Ignis announced. “He looks…preoccupied. Best wait until all the madness dies down somewhat.” 

“Roger,” Prompto said with a salute—such a rote gesture by now, but after surviving the day’s trials it made each one of them smile. Hearts soared to the sky as shoulders relaxed.

They realized little by little that they had made it. Success tasted sweet, like one of Ignis’s finely crafted cakes. The future looked alive with possibilities and duties that would need sorting through. But even weighty responsibility felt like a relief now the prospects of death and crushed destiny were gone. 

The five young heroes (were they heroes? Well yeah, a little bit. Or a lot, you know, whatever) looked around at each other. They broke into slow, goofy grins. Eventually those grins turned sly.

Being alive was the best aphrodisiac in the world.

They found reasons to touch each other as they walked. Cool, off-hand gestures that did not have to be read as affectionate by anyone passing by. Gladiolus shoved Prompto with one shoulder, making the smaller blonde man look back at him with a mischievous smile. Ignis latched firmly onto Noctis’s elbow, like he was leading the young prince (well, king). Unable to stop himself, Noctis reached up and ruffled Ardyn’s unruly crimson hair. Hard. With a silly giggle as well. 

Ardyn looked back at Noctis with a startled expression—he had quite literally been roused from his thoughts. 

But Noctis just laughed harder when he saw that look. His stomach felt light and airy, just this shy of giddy. He remembered being in the Beyond with Ardyn—couldn’t fucking believe they had just gone in there and made it back all in one day. It made his head feel like it was spinning. How could that place (another dimension?) be real? The Draconian…oh right, damn. They had actually met the Draconian.

Noctis snorted another giggle, falling forward onto Ardyn’s shoulder. Damn, he almost felt drunk. 

_Live your life as you so desire._ Bahamut had said.

Well, he could do that. Was it really that simple? Was he dreaming? Noctis opened and closed his fists a few times to ground himself in reality. His skin felt real. Ignis’s hand on his arm felt real. Ardyn felt real. These guys…his friends, boyfriends, his lovers. His family. They were all here with him. 

Warmth lined with an unyielding kind of happiness flooded the king’s body. He wanted to jump on Ardyn’s back and ride the older man the rest of the way like they were high school kids playing rough. He bet Ardyn would absolutely hate that shit. (But, Noctis knew, whenever Ardyn showed like he hated something it was just because it was new for him, something he had not experienced before, or at least not in a long time. Ardyn loved any kind of attention—that much was obvious. Even if he pretended to be mad a lot of the time, he was really just adjusting slowly and needed to put on a mad face to protect himself.)

So, hell with it.

Grabbing both of Ardyn’s shoulders, Noctis hoisted himself up and latched onto Ardyn’s waist with his knees. The older man groaned with the extra weight and bent forward, stumbling a little as he found his balance.

Prompto and Gladiolus burst into laughter when they saw Ardyn giving Noctis an unwelcome piggyback ride. Even Ignis chuckled behind one hand, holding the other in front of Ardyn to keep him from falling over. 

Without thinking, Ardyn gripped Noctis’s knees to keep him in place. The others saw that move and broke into another round of giggles to think that Ardyn was actually okay with all of this. (Which, judging by the disgruntled look on the older man’s face, he most certainly was not.) 

Noctis fought back his laughter and buried his face in Ardyn’s wavy hair. Inhaling deeply, Noctis let himself feel the bond that had formed between them—made even stronger by everything that happened in the Crystal. Ardyn had not betrayed him. Ardyn was not going to. Ever. He was always going to be with Noctis, just like the other guys. Protecting him, fighting by his side.

Nothing meant more to the young king.

“How is it, Noct?” Prompto chortled, pointing at the two of them. “How’s the ride so far?”

“Tch,” Noctis wrapped his arms around Ardyn’s neck possessively. “Don’t you know? I thought you rode him back in Caem.” 

Gladiolus and Prompto laughed even harder at that. Meanwhile Ardyn tugged at Noctis’s arm around his throat, fighting for more breathing room. 

Although his mind still felt hazy and disoriented, Ardyn knew enough to be somewhat embarrassed by that lewd comment. He blushed accordingly and gritted his teeth, shaking his head. 

Well, fine. If they were going to be like that… 

“I seem to recall,” Ardyn began, shouldering all of Noctis’s weight a little better now that they had found their balance. “It was our own dear Prompto getting the ride of his life on that occasion.” 

Gladiolus nudged Prompto as Noctis howled a long cry at the retaliation. Ardyn smirked accordingly. (Regardless, he remembered his and Prompto’s time together in Cape Came quite fondly.)

“Eh,” Prompto tilted his hand from side to side. “It was about fifty-fifty. Little bit of this, little bit of that. You know.” 

“It’s cool, dude,” Noctis replied, shifting his weight up and down like he really was riding Ardyn’s ass. “We’ve all been there. Especially with this guy.” 

“Indeed…” Ignis mused suddenly. The advisor averted his gaze, remembering his own personal time with the older man. 

“Still can’t believe he could handle you, Iggy,” Gladiolus remarked, pulling the bespectacled man in for a one-armed hug. “I mean….damn. I remember my first time taking that Leviathan in your pants. It was…whoa.” 

“Shit, yeah,” Prompto agreed. 

Noctis giggled and rubbed his face against the crimson locks in his eyes. He was downright fetishizing Ardyn’s hair at this point and he didn’t even care. “Yup. Everyone remembers their first time with Ignis….” Noctis ended with a happy sigh.

Feeling himself growing hard in his jeans, Noctis pressed down against Ardyn (kind of amazing Ardyn was actually strong enough to carry him. This guy had come such a long way since he first woke up after losing the daemons…back then he could barely lift a fork. Now he was deadlifting Noctis across Gralea. Not bad, not bad.) 

Smiling with satisfaction, the king downright purred in Ardyn’s ear. He was so unbelievably horny right now. Their victory, these guys, their future. Noctis wanted everything. Every small fucking bit of it and he was not going to compromise for less. 

“Did you like that?” Noctis whispered against the shell of Ardyn’s ear. “Did you like getting wrecked on Iggy’s long-ass cock? He can get all the way inside you. Places you didn't even know you had. Right?” 

For his part, Ignis was red up to his ears. He looked more like a fiery flan in glasses than anything else. “That’s…” he choked, adjusting his glasses and searching for the words. “…more than sufficient, I think, Highness…” 

Ardyn took a deep breath to steady himself. These guys were just teasing him now. Well, teasing each other. And that included him.

As it…should, the older man realized. He was one of them now. A member of their party and a part of their…polyamorous arrangement. No denying any of that now. This was what he had chosen after all. In the eyes of Bahamut Himself.

A wave of weariness crashed over Ardyn. He felt so, so old suddenly. He had just seen the pitiful moments of his life stretched out before him like they were happening all over again. All those feelings from long ago…unearthed after so long. The rejection, the fear. Crying in his mother’s arms. The anger, the pain. So much pain…being dragged through the streets. Torture. Loneliness. Madness. 

Now this. 

The Draconian was just going to let them go, let them go on with their mortal existences. Because essentially yes, the curse had been lifted. Debts had been paid and so forth.

But Ardyn had still lived that life. The one he saw in the Beyond. 

Actually, Ardyn figured he had probably lived several hundred lives by now. Each one more twisted than the last. He was going to have to carry all those lives with him until he perished.

And yet, he knew. He would not be carrying them alone. 

How…how, in all the hells and heavens known to the gods, had he ended up here? With them? Being goaded into a normal life with a loving relationship? How did he know he could tell these men everything—every dark, ugly kernel of his truth—and expect that they would still want to be with him? 

Because. He just knew. He knew them. If he didn’t, he never would have been able to pass Bahamut’s test. 

He could tell them. He would stay with them. 

They were his. 

“Noctis—” As soon as Ardyn opened his mouth to saying something (probably an unlooked for, embarrassing something), he tripped over an uneven patch of earth. Almost sent himself and Noctis tumbling to the ground. He fell on one knee, groaning with the effort of staying upright. 

The king scurried off Ardyn’s back and grabbed his hand to help him up. Gladiolus reached the older man’s other side, effectively righting him on his feet in one swift movement. 

“You okay?” Noctis asked, dusting some dirt from Ardyn’s knees. “Was I too heavy?” 

Ardyn shook his head. He was breathing heavily, as if unable to catch his breath. “No…not that. Not…you, I mean.” 

The raven-haired young man frowned. “…Hmm?”

“Don’t worry.” Gladiolus patted Ardyn hard on the back. “We got you, man.”

“I know,” Ardyn answered right away. He looked up at Gladiolus with a dazed expression and swept his hand across one of the Shield’s rugged, scarred cheeks.

Now it was Gladiolus’s turn to frown. He glanced back at Noctis, clearly confused.

“Uh….” Prompto stood in front Ardyn, resting the older man’s chin in his hand and inspecting both sides of his face. Trying to figure out what was wrong with him. “…I think the big guy might still be a little woozy from the Crystal.” 

Well. It was accurate enough.

Ardyn closed his eyes. He covered Prompto’s hands with his own. These small, slim fingers, covered in callouses from target practice…Ardyn knew these hands. These hands knew him. Saying nothing, he bent down and laid several kisses to the backs of Prompto’s knuckles. 

“So…yeah, that answers that question…” Noctis commented, tapping Ardyn on the shoulder to snap him out of his momentary trance. “Think Prompto might be right.” 

“At any rate, the inn our army is using as temporary barracks is right up ahead,” Ignis pointed out. They were nearing the edge of Zegnatus Keep and approaching the actual city of Gralea. “Let’s just make it to a room, shall we?”

The capital city of Niflheim was actually quite beautiful, when seen in the light of day. Unfortunately for the Empire, many of its citizens had self-evacuated after the end of the Scourge when it was clear the Empire was prime to self-destruct. As such, the modern and intricately crafted city had been in disarray for a few months now. There was a hotel at the city limits (a small, chain place that was nicer than a motel but not nearly as nice the Leville or any of the places in Altissia) the Lucian army had converted to a medical station. Now that the fight was over, it was also being used as a place for the soldiers to bed down. The rooms, of course, were free and the keys to everything were around the back of the unattended front desk.

Noctis wondered how long this hotel had been abandoned. It had the same eerie feel as the rest of Niflheim—or at least it would have, if people were not currently using it as both an active hospital and a party crash pad. 

Either way, it was far from a normal place to be. 

Some soldiers saluted them as Ignis walked behind the desk and retrieved a room key. They saluted back awkwardly, grinning at some of the more outlandish spectacles happening around the lobby. Two women already engaged in passionate sex on a public couch (if anything, only spurred on by the eyes of everyone walking by). The buzzing sound of triage being performed just beyond a far set of doors. A man flat on his back across one desk, already asleep, with a bottle of booze tucked precariously in under one arm. 

“What’s the room number you got there, Iggy?” Prompto asked hurriedly. 

“876.” Ignis bounced his eyebrows as he surveyed another couple in the corner rounding second base. “Let’s…head upstairs, shall we?” 

The elevator wasn’t working (not a great sign), so they had to walk. 

“Couldn’t get anything on the first floor, huh?” Prompto whined, already out of breath after four flights of stairs. 

“This was…the first one I found…” Ignis replied, strained. 

But the sounds of a raucous time were evident on each floor. Clearly there were already many, many rooms being occupied. Noctis found himself proud of each person who had managed to crash here. These were, after all, the citizens he would (someday soon) be ruling…and these were people Noctis could relate to.

It gave him a good feeling, seeing people behave in a way that was just human. Honest. Needy, in a way, but only because freedom was not something many people could claim to have experience with. 

Noctis could relate to them. In a way, he had never felt more like a common man—if this was considered common. 

Finally they reached their room. Just walking down the hallway with the promise of a private place was making them all feel silly again. Prompto nearly tripped on the carpeting, grabbing onto Gladiolus at the last second to catch himself. Chuckling, Gladiolus decided to just deadlift Prompto and carry him bridal style into their hotel suite. 

“My hero!” Prompto cried as he was carried over the threshold. 

Noctis held his stomach as he roared with laughter, pulling Ardyn into the room by his shirt collar while Ignis shakily locked the door behind them.

Alone at last. They felt the comfort of four walls and five bodies as soon as the door closed. 

Gladiolus deposited Prompto whole-body onto the bed. The blonde flopped around like a fish out of water for a few moments, then he scrambled into a sitting position and yanked Gladiolus down on top of him. Before they could throw out any more quips, Prompto started kissing Gladiolus as hard as he could. 

The others watched them for a second or two. Prompto’s mouth was open all the way as he shamelessly tongued Gladiolus’s face, moaning and pawing at the Shield’s clothes. Gladiolus muttered a few dark, dirty things to Prompto as the MT worked. Things like, “Good thing we found a place to stay. Otherwise I would of just fucked you right there on the battlefield where everyone else could see.”

“Mmmm…” Prompto groaned, hips twitching as his straining groin searched for friction. 

Gladiolus latched his hands onto Prompto’s waist and undid the younger man’s pants. “You’d like that wouldn’t you?” he mumbled, pulling Prompto out of his clothes. “I knew you were the type of guy who likes an audience…”

“Same goes for you, right?” Prompto asked. He cradled Gladiolus’s head in his hands and kissed him again. 

Sensing the drastic shift in mood—going from giddy and stupid to totally hot without blinking an eye—Ignis and Noctis turned to each other. They wrapped each other in an intimate, full-body embrace as their mouths met eagerly. 

“Highness…Noct…” Ignis whispered, caressing his liege’s face. “I am floored by all you have accomplished. I never doubted you for a second. My sweet boy, my love, my lord…my _king_ …”

Another second ticked by and suddenly Ignis was on his knees, unbuckling Noctis’s pants with singleminded determination. The advisor pulled out the king’s already erect, proud cock and pounced on it like he needed it to live. Like that cock was essential to his own survival, the same as air and water. Ignis deep throated Noctis all at once, burying his face up against Noctis’s exposed pubic hair, those tight black curls that were by far the coarsest part of the young man’s body. 

“Ah! Ignis, _fuck_ …” Noctis’s hand burrowed into Ignis’s styled pompadour. He faltered as he withstood the intense pleasure of a warm throat around his trembling dick, taking a step back to stay on his feet. “I could never have done it without you Ignis…oh…I love you, Iggy…”

Ignis slurped Noctis’s cock for a moment longer, before pulling back to say, “I love you too, your majesty.” 

“Ah!” 

Ardyn tore his eyes away from that scene to glance back over at the bed. Gladiolus and Prompto were both naked now, running their hands all over each other’s bodies. The Shield turned to Ardyn and gave him a full-toothed grin. Then, he threw Prompto’s legs up over younger man’s own head (basically folding him in half) and starting lapping at Prompto’s asshole. The gunner screamed in response, scooting away from Gladiolus on extinct as he tried to manage the intense pleasure of being rimmed. 

But Gladiolus just shifted their angle until he was facing their older spectator. He made eye contact with Ardyn again and went back to Prompto, keeping his gaze locked with Ardyn’s as he worked his tongue all over Prompto’s rim. That flat, wide tongue worked with such succinct precision…Ardyn licked his lips as he watched, feeling himself already unreasonably hard. His own asshole started to twitch as he registered the look of mind-blown pleasure on Prompto’s face.

It looked like Gladiolus’s tongue was taking Prompto to new heights. The blonde’s eyes rolled back in his head and his mouth ran on in a babbling stream of words, “No…ah, Gladio…sensitive there! Ah! Shit! I’m….you’re gonna make me…!” 

All these delicious sights. Ardyn forced his eyes closed. Then he ripped them open again in a fit of rage—testing to make sure this was real and not some trick of the Astrals. Another test…? 

No, it couldn’t be. The Astrals could never think up something as obscene as this. Four men giving each other oral sex in a variety of new, exciting ways. The things Ignis did with his throat, while Gladiolus ate out Prompto like the boy’s ass was a very delicious helping of Cup Noodles. 

Ardyn shook his head and smiled. Nope. This was reality. Pure, messy, filthy, cruel, wonderful reality. 

At least, this was _his_ reality now. Yes.

Feeling an intense surge of desire—mixed with pride at the knowledge that these men were all his, in their own way—Ardyn began undressing himself. He weighed his options—far from feeling left out, Ardyn instead felt like he was being presented with a paradisiacal buffet. Which pair would he descend upon first? He could shove his dick down Prompto’s throat, and _oh_ , that would be _marvelous_ …or he could crawl behind Ignis and pound into that man until the bespectacled advisor screamed as hard as he had that night in Cartanica. But then there was Noctis to consider, his face contorted in pleasure thanks to Ignis’s fine ability…and Gladiolus, with his tongue and hands driving Prompto closer to heaven.

How could he manage to enjoy all of them at the same time? Was it even possible? He wanted them all! Taking them one at a time just wouldn’t be enough right now. 

Ardyn stood there in his boxers, flicking his eyes back and forth between the two scenes. His length was at full attention, jutting out in front of him like a pronouncement. His hands itched at his sides, desperate to touch something…one of them…some warm, familiar flesh…

“Ardyn.” 

He whipped around to face Noctis when he heard his name. The king was reaching out to him with both hands. “Come over here.” 

Unwilling (and entirely unable) to say no to that, Ardyn stumbled over to Noctis and Ignis. The advisor moved his head out from Noctis’s crotch for a moment as Ardyn fell into Noctis’s arms. 

The older man twitched when the king’s hands touched his skin. He didn’t know why. Maybe because of how incredibly aroused he was. Or maybe because it was Noctis, the True Light. Or perhaps…because of all the wretched memories he had just relived. The feeling of whips and fists and blades and tools on his skin…the daemons lapping at him from the inside out. And now, here was Noctis’s sweet touch. The calm, loving embrace of his Beloved.

Stuttering out a moan, Ardyn pressed his face into Noctis’s neck. This smell. This feeling of soft skin on his own…Ardyn was so happy. Grateful. Revived. He had gotten to experience this again in his lifetime. He would get to feel this whenever he desired…

It was almost too much. He hid his eyes against the king’s shoulder. 

The younger man twisted his fingers in the crimson hair he adored so much and said, “Ardyn, thanks for coming with me. I really needed you. And I…saw what you did in there. With Bahamut. You were trying to protect me, weren’t you?

“Mmm.” Ardyn nodded against Noctis’s skin, recalling how he had pitifully (and fruitlessly) attempted to shield Noctis from Bahamut’s looming judgement. 

Noctis hugged Ardyn’s head, squeezing the older man to him like something he cherished. “Heh, yeah. I love you, Ardyn. You know that?”

“…Ngh.” Unable to say anything coherent, Ardyn just nodded again.

He felt the wetness staining Noctis’s arm, rubbing against his own eyes. He knew what was happening. But he chose not to acknowledge it. If he were to mention something like that—here, now—then Ardyn might just collapse and cease to exist all together. There was so much of himself he had lost these past few weeks, and so much of himself he had found. This—these tears—was another thing to add to the list. But it would be the final straw. Ardyn just didn’t know if he could take any more.

Noctis took Ardyn’s head in both his hands. He raised the man’s face until they were looking at each other. Saying nothing, Noctis wiped away his older companion’s tears with both thumbs. Then he placed a soft kiss on each of Ardyn’s irritated eyes. 

“Noct…I…” Ardyn fought with himself as he tried to say it. He had once said these words so easily—flippantly, to any who deigned to sleep with him back in his youth. But now…as he felt Noctis’s honest love, Ardyn could not work up the nerve to say them. They seemed like too much and yet not enough all at once.

Nodding in quiet understanding, Noctis just smiled. “I know,” the young king promised him.

Of course he already knew. It was obvious by now how much Ardyn loved Noctis. How much he loved all of them. 

Not asking for anything more than that, Noctis pulled Ardyn in for a gentle kiss. Their lips met without any resistance. Ardyn’s tears fell away after that, as a deep-seated warmth awoke inside of him. This connection between them all—the one that had started as something just from the body, a physical need—rose up again. Ardyn’s knees went weak and his cock lifted eagerly again. He wanted to be with them. No, he needed it. These four bodies were his connection to everything living, what had brought him back from ages in the darkness.

Fuck…he _needed_ it. Some pre-cum leaked from the tip of his cock without even being touched. He needed the reassuring pleasure only these men could give him.

As he kissed Noctis, Ardyn felt his boxers being slipped down from his hips until he was exposed. Then he felt a devilishly slow stroke on his dick. Long fingers, easy and controlled. Ignis. He looked down and was met with the sight of Ignis, on his knees in between Noctis and Ardyn, making eye contact with Ardyn as he lazily stroked the older man. 

“Shall I serve you, as well, your Highness?” Ignis asked the former prince coyly. 

Grunting in arousal, Ardyn locked his sights onto Ignis’s lips and silently wished he could feel that delicate, well-formed little mouth on his aching hardness. 

Smiling, Ignis complied with the former immortal’s unspoken desire. He leaned forward and lapped at Ardyn with a face full of enjoyment. He kept his eyes open to gauge the reactions from his older companion, but his lids went heavy as he relished Ardyn’s taste.

Ardyn shuddered a sigh, gripping Noctis’s shoulders as Ignis’s tongue sent him reeling. 

“Mmm…” Ignis said, smacking his lips together. “My lord, you taste…sticky and somehow…sweet. Like a bit of tree sap or just-ripe fruit.” The advisor cocked his head interestedly, licking his lips to chase the taste. “ _Exquisite_. Does your cock-head have some preternatural ability I am not aware of, Highness?”

The former immortal moaned brokenly. Ignis waxing poetic about his dick was not only surprisingly (unfairly) hot, it was also a harsh, rousing stroke to his ego. Something that had not been voluntarily pleasured in quite a few ages. Ardyn wanted to grip Ignis by the hair and fuck his mouth, but he could not bear to lose sight of the bespectacled man so lewdly sucking him. Ignis did not have the suction that Prompto had when it came to blowjobs, but…his _tongue._ That hellishly smart tongue. 

It would be the death of him.

Noctis kissed the side of Ardyn’s face and downward, nipping gently against the older man’s sensitive neck. Giving in immediately, Ardyn bent his head to the side to give Noctis more access. Small, fiery bursts of pleasure ran up and down his body, making goosebumps break out across his flesh. He could probably cum just like this…

He felt a heavy presence drop to the floor behind him. Before he could turn around, Ardyn saw Prompto sneaking behind Noctis. The MT bounced his eyebrows mischievously and got down on his knees. Ardyn gasped as he saw Prompto casually spread Noctis’s ass cheeks and bend forward.

At the same time he watched Prompto lick the king’s most coveted entrance, Ardyn felt a thumbs spreading his own ass as well, and a tongue right _there._ He yelped in surprise, confusedly thinking he was feeling Noctis’s pleasure.

But then he turned around and saw Gladiolus. On his knees, face buried against Ardyn’s ass. That thick tongue flicked Ardyn’s rim and fluttered against his hole. 

“Ah…” Noctis and Ardyn said in unison. 

They were being pleasured the same way, by three different men. Prompto and Gladiolus in back, while Ignis alternated his attention between both of their cocks, one in each hand. Finally Ignis brought their cocks together and stretched his mouth as wide as he could. Using the acrobatic skills of a man who lived for this stuff, Ignis sucked the tips of both their dicks into his mouth. 

“Oh! Ah, shit…” the Caelums muttered one by one. 

Their erections slid against each other in Ignis’s mouth. Warm and slippery. They both wanted to rut forward into Ignis’s throat but…that would probably have been quite damaging to their beloved advisor. So instead they leaned forward and kissed each other hard, feeling connected in a way that was difficult to describe. Their cocks and assholes, their mouths…every erogenous part of their body was feeling the same pleasure. The object of the three retainers’ attention.

And, beyond that, the five of them were together. Finally.

The touches were great (Gladiolus knew what the hell he was _doing_ back there, spearing his tongue into Ardyn’s loosening entrance and making the older man tremble). But the angle was a little difficult. It would be hard for either of them to actually achieve orgasm like this. More like, all of this pleasurable attention was enough to stir them up into a fever pitch. Until Ardyn and Noctis were both desperate for more.

Pulling away from their sloppy kiss, Noctis growled in frustration, “Guys, that’s enough! Come on, we’re blue-balling here!”

The other three stopped their ministrations at the same time. Gladiolus chuckled darkly. “Are you, now?” He fingered Ardyn’s balls teasingly, making the older man quiver. “Seems fine to me.” 

“Yeah, but…” Prompto pushed himself up onto his feet. “We all know how dramatic Noct can get. Especially when he’s all worked up.” 

“Heh, yup,” Gladiolus agreed, standing as well. “Can’t edge our prince any more than two whole times before he starts to get whiny and needy…same with Ardyn, actually, now that I think about it. Only got two rounds out of him before he begged to come.” 

The Shield wrapped his hands around Ardyn’s waist and kissed his shoulders affectionately. Ardyn, of course, recalled the experience. He had not exactly…shared that encounter with the rest of them. But Gladiolus spoke nothing but the truth. So…well, it was out there now. Ardyn glanced at Noctis and saw the young man breaking out into a blush, even while he looked curiously back the former immortal. 

Perhaps they were alike in a lot of ways.

Prompto giggled in amusement. “Geez…these royalty types are pretty impatient, huh?” 

“So it would seem,” Ignis threw in, leaning back into a sitting position. “Well then. Any suggestions, gentlemen?” 

“I’m gonna fuck all of you,” Noctis threatened, hooking one arm around Prompto’s waist and attacking the blonde’s throat with kisses in retaliation.

“Haha!” Prompto nuzzled Noctis’s face, but pushed his lover away slightly. “That’s nice, Noct, but we were thinking of a group round instead of you just running train on all of us.” 

“Yeah, I’m getting in on this,” Gladiolus promised. He stomped over to Noctis and Prompto. Grinning from ear to ear, he gripped the king’s hips and pushed them up against his own waist suggestively.

Noctis’s eyes widened as he realized what Gladiolus was asking for. He leaned back and kissed his Shield on the mouth. Clearly accepting the offer. The king even bent forward slightly, baring himself a little more, and reached for Gladiolus’s substantial cock. He gave the bigger man a few cursory squeezes while everyone else watched hungrily.

Turning away from his eager lover, Noctis looked back at the rest of them. “Alright, fine. But I’m definitely fucking Ardyn.”

The former immortal flinched as he heard his name. It was…surprising to hear in that context. He stared at Noctis, eyeing the king from head to toe and settling his gaze on that slim, vainly curved cock the small man possessed. 

“Sorry, but I just…have to,” Noctis told them with an apologetic smile.

Prompto clapped appreciatively. “I like the sound of that!” He turned to Ignis and held out his hands. “Come here, Iggy. We have seriously got to get you out of those clothes.”

Ignis accepted the hands and rose into a standing position. He peppered Prompto’s mouth with kisses, nodding his consent. “Much obliged, thank you.” 

“No problem.” With that, Prompto deftly began removing Ignis’s clothes piece by piece. He knew his way around the advisor’s old-fashioned, somewhat complicated outfit. What with the shirt-stays and sock garters…it was actually rather impressive to watch. 

Meanwhile, Gladiolus stripped Noctis of everything else the king was wearing. It put them all on equal ground. By this point, all five of them were naked. They looked around at each other with satisfied smirks.

Scratching his chest distractedly, Gladiolus walked over to the bedside dresser. “Wonder if this place has any lube?”

“Yes, I daresay we left our trusty bottle in the Regalia…” Ignis admitted. The spare tube of ‘hand cream’ he kept on him at all times would not be enough for all of them.

“And the one in the Armiger is running out,” Prompto added, his hands roaming up and down Ignis’s toned chest.

Ardyn could not help shaking his head in disbelief. This men were outrageous…storing _lube_ in the _Armiger_ …could the Crystal’s power be used for anything more homoerotic than that? But actually, Ardyn loved the idea. More than anything, he wished he had thought of doing that in his own time. 

“Jackpot.” Gladiolus came up brandishing a fresh bottle of generic lubricant. It was a Niflheim brand that only Ardyn was familiar with. He smiled as he saw it, realizing that for all it was worth, Niflheim was a little more sexually liberated than Lucis. At least here, people would be expecting a bottle of such a thing in any average hotel. 

“It’ll do,” Noctis said, nodding in approval. “Pass it to me.” 

Gladiolus’s eyes twinkled. “As you wish, your majesty.” He tossed the bottle to Noctis in a slow, under-hand pass.

Catching it against his chest, Noctis smiled eagerly. He looked back at Ardyn and gave him a one-armed shrug. “So? You want to?” 

This boy…Ardyn shook his head again. Even after everything—after all of _that_ earlier, the declarations of love—Noctis still came off as unconfident. How could Ardyn show him that his own body, for all intents and purposes, truly belonged to Noctis? That nothing the boy desired of him would be out of the question, as long as Ardyn was in his right mind and fully able to appreciate the experience. 

Well, he could think of a way.

Ardyn approached Noctis slowly. His gold-flecked eyes swept around the room expressively. “Here?” he asked.

Noctis nodded. He glanced down at the floor. “Yeah.” 

Even after everything, Ardyn had to admit that he did not love the idea of kneeling on the dirty hotel floor to be fucked. He eyed the carpet warily and then glanced back at Noctis’s cock, assuring himself that it would be worth it in the end to feel that wonderful manhood inside of him.

Before he could deliberate further, Ardyn felt hands on his shoulders pushing him down. Not fighting it, he let himself be pushed to the floor into a sitting position. When he looked back he saw it was Ignis, who had sat down alongside him.

Well, if Ignis was down here with him, then…how could Ardyn complain? 

Hazel eyes bursting with nothing but love, Ignis pulled Ardyn closer to him for a sweet kiss. These familiar lips…Ardyn let Ignis manipulate the kiss however he liked. There was a sweet pulse of desire inside his chest that was suddenly begging for Ignis to take control of him. He did not know where it came from. He only knew that no matter what, Ardyn could always trust Ignis to be gentle with him. 

He could trust all of them the same way.

They heard kissing sounds coming from above. An upward glance revealed Noctis and Gladiolus familiarizing themselves with each other, while Prompto licked each of their sculpted chests in turns. The blonde looked like he was whole-heartedly worshipping the two of them, like he did not love anything nearly as much.

Smiling encouragingly, Ignis guided Ardyn onto his knees. “Will you be comfortable like this?” the advisor asked, gesturing to Ardyn’s bare knees on the floor.

“It’s fine…” Ardyn replied, testing his weight. Really, Ignis did not need to baby him so much…

“Hmmm…” Hearing none of that, Ignis reached up to the bed and grabbed the comforter. In one harsh tug, he pulled the blanket off the bed and spread it out on the floor. He gestured for Ardyn to come lean on that.

Sighing at the excessive treatment (but secretly relieved to have some cushioning against his not-exactly-young joints), Ardyn adjusted himself until he was kneeling on the realigned comforter. Actually this was a lot more manageable…Ardyn nestled down onto his hands and knees. 

“Nice and relaxed?” 

Ardyn glanced behind him and saw Noctis kneeling down behind him. He smiled at the younger man, noting the way Noctis’s eyes were shimmering with both excitement and small bit of uncertainty. Perhaps because this was only their second time together, ever. 

“Come now, Noct…” Ardyn drawled, spreading his legs apart a little wider. “Don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet?”

Noctis sputtered a laugh, then gestured down to his hard cock. “What does it look like?”

Ardyn mewled a small sound of anticipation. He let himself be heard, for Noctis’s sake. “It looks like you’re more than ready for me…show me a good time, won’t you?” 

The king nodded in response. “Fuck yeah, I will…” he muttered under his breath.

Pouring some lube onto his fingers, Noctis took some time to prepare Ardyn. Those knowledgeable (but slightly shy) fingers in him, feeling around curiously…Ardyn spread his knees even further, taking a deep breath as he prepared his anxious body for what came next. 

Suddenly, Prompto kneeled down next to him. He combed his hand through Ardyn’s unruly locks, and said, “Damn, I forget how good you look all spread out for us like this.”

Ardyn’s eyes fluttered closed. Noctis was pushing against his inner walls, searching for weak spots. It felt good. Being opened in a way they could all see. He wanted Gladiolus to stare at Noctis’s fingers working inside of him. He wanted Ignis and Prompto to get off on the sight just as much.

“Heh…” Prompto tilted Ardyn’s face upward so they were eye-to-eye. “Kind of makes a guy want a little something extra…”

From somewhere behind him, Ardyn could hear Gladiolus moaning and kissing Noctis’s body. It made Ardyn’s cock leap in excitement. They were all getting turned on, watching him on his knees for the king…

…And Ardyn himself was nothing short of enthralled by the idea. He gasped, rocking his hips backward to meet Noctis’s hand. Those fingers were starting to fuck him now. He was beginning to seek out the way they rubbed against him, so intimately. He wanted more.

Then Prompto leaned down and pressed a needy kiss to Ardyn’s lips. Beginning to lose himself to the pleasure of so much all at once, Ardyn kissed him back. Remembering how it felt when Prompto came apart with pleasure, Ardyn suddenly wanted very much to make sure Prompto came at least once because of him. In some way. 

Pulling away from the kiss, Ardyn pressed his face into Prompto’s chest. He dragged his tongue along the younger man’s bony sternum, rubbing saliva everywhere, making a mess of him. Hardly caring about any of that, Ardyn searched for that one spot he knew would make Prompto bark and tremble. 

“Anh…” the blonde groaned, realizing what Ardyn was doing. “Yeah, go for it…” 

Grinning, open-mouthed, Ardyn slid his tongue in the small dip between Prompto’s ribcage. There. He pressed into that spot with a fair amount of force.

“Oh!” Prompto shook just from the sensation. 

“What is it?” Ignis asked.

So. It appeared that Prompto had not exactly told the rest of them about this special place on his MT body. It…wasn’t that Prompto didn’t want to tell them. He definitely did! That was awesome, from a sex standpoint, but…he didn’t exactly know _how_ to tell them. Like, ‘Hey guys, I have some weird magical core on my body that goes crazy when you press on it?’ Or, ‘Look what an MT can do? Now watch me spark?’ 

Even though he knew he was accepted, Prompto could not just say things like that as if they were normal. No matter what, Prompto knew he was definitely not normal. He didn’t need to draw more attention to that fact.

But like this, with Ardyn doing it…well, Prompto was fine with that. Nothing was normal about Ardyn. And this, the former immortal leering with his tongue out, licking him like some kind of crazy old pervert…Prompto could hardly claim to be bashful in a situation like that. 

Ardyn forced his nose into that small magical center, making Prompto black out for a moment in utter pleasure.

“Whoa, Prom…” Noctis whispered. “You look like you’re glowing! What’s happening right now?”

Prompto shook his head, staring down at Ardyn and fighting the urge to kiss him. Wow, he really did love this ancient, weird dude. A lot. For better or worse, Ardyn had changed all their lives immeasurably. And Prompto liked to think it was for the better. 

“Don’t know,” Prompto answered his friend breathlessly. “Ardyn says it’s…my core, or something? Like, where all the magical energy in my body is concentrated. I don’t really understand, but it feels… _so_ fucking good…” 

“Let me see.” Without waiting for an answer, Noctis leaned over Ardyn’s back and fingered that sensitive area on his friend’s chest. 

Prompto’s eyes rolled back in his head. “Yeah…that’s it…”

“That’s awesome, Prom…” Noctis said, truly amazed. “I am gonna drive you absolutely crazy with this. Maybe not now, but soon. Very soon. I can’t fucking wait.”

“Yes, the possibilities are endless…” Ignis added when Noctis pulled back to line himself up with Ardyn’s ass. The advisor rubbed circles into Prompto’s core in fascination. 

Okay, yeah. Prompto really should have told the guys about this sooner. Especially because right now was probably the worst time to be teasing that part of him—Prompto was already riled up from their foreplay. Now he felt like he might blow his load prematurely all over Ardyn’s depraved face…

“Alright.” Ardyn felt Noctis hands bracing his backside, while the king’s ample cock nudged his entrance.“Ready?”

Ardyn ground his teeth together. His heart hammered in his chest as he anticipated what these next few moments would feel like.

“Quite,” he replied. Nothing else needed to be said.

Taking a deep breath, Noctis plunged his cock inside Ardyn. The instant rush of hot, slick pleasure made the king fall forward onto the older man’s back. He pressed his forehead into Ardyn’s spine, telling himself to keep it together. He wanted to do this right, to give the former immortal as much pleasure as his body could withstand.

Like last time.

But…by the gods, this felt better than he remembered.

Ardyn howled in desire as Noctis pushed all the way inside of him. There it was again—that burst of white right behind his eyes. What the hell was that? A pulsating haze of light spreading all through him…it only happened when Noctis fucked him. Ardyn knew he should be alarmed by such a thing—a whiteness that made it difficult to see or speak around the intense, otherworldly pleasure—but he could not feel much of anything besides rapture.

This…his whole body bending, yielding to Noctis. Yielding to the man he had been waiting for these past two thousand years. His body knew. He did not quite understand how, but…his body knew this was Noctis. _His_ Noct. 

“Ah…gods…damn, Ardyn…” Noctis mumbled. “Why are you so…amazing…?”

“Shit, to hell with everything.” Gladiolus grabbed the bottle of lube and slicked up his fingers. “I gotta do this now or I’m gonna go insane…” 

The Shield prepared his king with two rough fingers. The younger man tightened in response, pressing up harder into Ardyn. They both keened as Gladiolus stretched Noctis open. It was as if they were experiencing all of the same sensations—like before, but somehow more intense now that they were actually physically connected. Ardyn knew that Gladiolus’s fingers were thick and overbearing. He knew exactly what Noctis was going through.

“Oh, Gladio….” Noctis wrapped an arm backward, pulling his Shield closer to him. “I fucking love you, Gladio…so, so much…” 

Gladiolus hummed deeply. He kissed his king passionately. “I love you too, Noct. Always have, always will. Now will you let me…?” 

The bigger man rubbed the tip of his cock against Noctis’s lubed opening. Nodding wildly, Noctis leaned forward into Ardyn a little more. It gave Gladiolus more access to his body and pressed his cock deeper into the man in front of him. 

Mumbling some inscrutable string of praise, Gladiolus slid his dick into Noctis inch by inch. He forgot to grab a condom—he had basically been out of his mind as soon as they all knelt down together on the floor. So Gladiolus tried to tell himself that he would go slow and that he would pull out before he came so he didn’t make any kind of trouble for Noctis…

…But. He had forgotten how sweet and tight their boyish king really was. Besides that, Gladiolus could see how each thrust of his cock pushed Noctis further inside Ardyn, as if he were somehow fucking both of them at the same time…forcing the king and the former immortal together every time he shifted his hips. It was an obscene kind of power. Needless to say, it went straight to Gladiolus’s head.

Ardyn felt it too. Losing his mind, he threw his head back and laughed. “Ah, there you are, Gladio!” he cried. “I can feel you pressing down on him…oh, yes…nnh, fuck him good and hard, now! For the both of us…mmm…” 

Noctis caught Ardyn’s laugh and giggled. He was more or less losing it too, swallowed by pleasure from both sides. “Yes, fuck us Gladio…!” 

“Whoa, I’m done, Ig…” Prompto whimpered, wrapping his fist around his cock and pumping furiously. There was no way he could sit by and watch this kind of thing without getting off…might as well jerk himself to the sight and get it over with.

Ignis was momentarily speechless, taking in every detail of the three men fucking each other senseless in front of him. 

Ardyn immediately noticed that Prompto had started masturbating. The younger man’s cock was level with his face after all, and now there was a furiously busy hand bumping his nose on every stroke. The thought did not sit well with the older man—he wanted to be the one to bring Prompto his well-deserved climax.

Growling in displeasure, Ardyn pushed Prompto’s hand away. Before Prompto could utter a word in protest, the former immortal wrapped his lips around the blonde’s cock and sucked for all he was worth. 

Yes. That pink, eager little cock. Ardyn could do quite a lot with this. He rolled his tongue over Prompto’s head, letting the motion of Noctis' and Gladiolus’ coupling rock his mouth back and forth. 

“Oh, oh…” Prompto scrabbled for purchase on Ardyn’s shoulders. He tried to push the older man away at first, knowing he was definitely (no question) going to come in Ardyn’s mouth. And that was…rude or something, right? 

But after a few seconds, being pulled into the force of all four of them fucking, Prompto gave up. No choice. He couldn’t fight this. So, he angled his hips in a way that allowed his cock to slide down Ardyn’s throat every time Noctis and Gladiolus thrust forward. 

This was what he needed, Ardyn realized. Just this. To be opened from both ends, letting these men take their pleasure from him in any way they could. He let all of his inhibitions go, driven mad by the way his untouched cock slapped against his stomach over and over. 

Without even being fully away of himself, Ardyn reached forward with one hand. Searching for Ignis.

That was the sight that finally forced Ignis out of his stupor. Ardyn reaching for him. While the advisor sorely wished he could just sit back on his heels and observe his lovers pleasuring themselves into bliss…well, he could not. He needed to be with them. They needed to be in this together.

Shaking his head to clear it, Ignis laid down flat on his back. Again making use of his acrobatics, he shimmied underneath Ardyn until his mouth made contact with the older man’s yearning cock. Like this, Ardyn was able to fuck Ignis’s clever mouth without even needing to exert any energy. The force of their connection was enough. 

Ignis had not been lying earlier. He truly was captivated by the taste of Ardyn’s manhood. He could not remember ever tasting another one like it…and the taste itself was something familiar yet puzzling. Adjusting the angle, Ignis eagerly milked Ardyn’s dick as hard as he could.

“Iggy…” 

Without needing to be told, Ardyn and Prompto both felt around for Ignis’s length. They found it at the same time, lacing their fingers together as they stroked that long cock with quick hands. Prompto would admit that Ardyn was doing most of the work, squeezing Ignis tight. As if Ardyn wanted to forcefully pull an orgasm out of the bespectacled man.

He would get what he wanted. There, Ardyn skewered between Noctis and Prompto, with Gladiolus pounding into Noctis from behind, and Ignis on his back underneath Ardyn. They could all get what they wanted. 

“Mmm, I can’t…I’m…” Gladiolus grunted, nearly his end.

“Come on, come on…comeon…cum…” Prompto muttered incoherently. His hips slapped Ardyn’s chin.

The muffled moans from Ardyn and Ignis got higher, more desperate. They were getting closer.

“You guys…” Noctis groaned. They had all turned into one big fuck pile now and Noctis wouldn’t have it any other way. This was the future he had been granted. This was exactly what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. 

“…you guys…are the best…!” 

One after the other, they reached a climax. It was impossible to tell who went first, but it started a chain reaction. Emptying themselves down throats, inside bodies, spilling onto the blanket underneath…they stayed glued together until the last shiver reverberated through their five-way connection. 

Riding the end of his orgasm, Prompto pulled away from Ardyn. A string of his cum spilled down Ardyn’s face, and Prompto felt distantly bad about that. But he was also rapidly falling into the head space where he couldn’t care about anything. He laid down on his back, cradling Ardyn’s head on his stomach. 

Ignis slid out from underneath Ardyn and forced himself into a sitting position. That had—most assuredly—been their most amazing, intuitive time together. Like they were one person, one mind…incredible. And as much as Ignis wanted to fall into a blissed-out sleep, he needed to tend to Noctis. 

Gladiolus gently dislodged himself from the king, wincing regretfully when a cascade of semen followed him. He really should have remembered the rubber…

“You okay, Noct?” Gladiolus asked, rubbing soothing circles into Noctis’s back.

Face first between Ardyn’s shoulder blades, Noctis just nodded. That orgasm…he could not remember another one like it. So ridiculously intense. Like part of his soul had been pushed out with the rest of his cum, leaving him a shaking mess afterwards.

He knew Gladiolus had wrecked his ass, but he was alright with that for the time being.

“I’ll…get us some towels,” Ignis offered, rising unsteadily to his feet. Gladiolus caught Ignis by the hips and helped him find his balance.

Noctis bent forward to check on Ardyn. He saw that the older man’s eyes were open. They were glazed over and unfocused, but at least Ardyn was conscious. 

“Hey…” Noctis said softly, pushing back some of Ardyn’s hair to clear his face. “…you still good?”

Ardyn blinked slowly. He supposed he was good. Yeah. If being completely emptied was good. Which it was, judging by how utterly rested he felt right in that moment.

Everything he had been, everything of his former self—the darkness, the daemons, the hatred, all of it—was gone now. Ardyn knew that for certain. After such a thorough, mutual fucking…feeling like he had reached perfect synergy with these four men…Ardyn knew he was changed for good. For the rest of his life. 

This must be the power of light. Hell of a thing.

Ardyn nodded, swallowing the drool that had slipped out of his mouth (onto Prompto’s stomach) when he was unaware. 

“Yes…” he answered, sounding the most self-assured Noctis had ever heard. “I’m alright. I am at peace.”

A true peace.

 

 

~~~The end~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *drags self to the finish line* Ah...but I don't even want it to end!
> 
> Seriously, this story has been such a great time. I am SO indebted to everyone that read, left kudos, and commented on this thing. Are guys are the true heroes <3 <3 <3 
> 
> And, because self-control is a thing of the past, I am planning on writing more for this series. Fluffy post-game stuff mostly. People have been requesting certain scenarios and I am happy to oblige. So far we have: 1) Ardyn fishing with the bros, 2) Ardyn going for morning training/photography sessions with Gladiolus and Prompto and 3) Ardyn wearing cat ears. I'm on it ;) But if anyone had any other ideas they would like to see, hit me up! I'm basically just asking for more stuff to write for these guys, so I'd love some more prompts. 
> 
> As always, a mountain of gratitude and love! ^__^


End file.
